perry21

The key story here is the strong US$ which is rising against most currencies, except the Rouble. The Japanese Yen, Sterling, Euro and Yuan are all getting smashed down. The scale of these moves is rather dramatic because FX markets rarely move with this level of volatility. Macro experts sometimes call a strong dollar a global wrecking ball that causes chaos throughout the global economy. Imports of energy and commodities (denominated in $) rise for all importing countries (Thailand included) leading to higher inflation. Furthermore many asian/thai business have borrowed heavily in dollars and the nominal value of that debt rises when converted back in local currency (like a foreign currency mortgage) . Conversely Thailand becomes attractive as a lower cost destination for Americans. Swings and roundabouts but the macro picture is becoming extremely uncertain. As a British person, living in London, I note the concern about the Thai economy, Personally I am much more concerned about the winter situation in UK/Europe, and I see Thailand as a safe haven. 

https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/downloads/2022/02feb/20220203-RESO-160B-RRD.pdf

This appears to be the official set of rules for entry from 10 February. Straightforward. This link to the official Philippines Gazette came from the British Government website. 

The UK has undertaken more than 50% of the DNA sequencing tests (that establish the covid variant) performed globally. By comparison Europe (and the US) has undertaken a much smaller number of sequencing tests. For historical reasons DNA sequencing is a big thing in the UK (for example, see the news about the forthcoming IPO of Oxford Nanopore). That is the most likely reason the Kent variant was first identified in Kent. Kent is the gateway county for continental Europe and where two of the UK's largest ports are located, through which much of the cross channel transport to/from Europe occurs. . Gatwick Airport, one of the large air gateways to Europe is also located nearby. So it is possible that the Kent variant could have developed in the UK or been brought in from Europe, or elsewhere. UK air borders were and remain rather open. So it is not possible to say definitively that the UK/Kent variant is from UK. It might be but that is not known. 

Is anyone else having problems creating a new id login at the visa application website (www.thaivisa.go.th)? 

I have tried repeatedly and keep getting the same error message "an error occurred while processing your request"

I have never used the site before so dont have a pre existing login. I have checked I'm using up to date chrome browser and javascript allowed, per site recommendation.  

So I was wondering whether this is a regular problem, a temporary site problem today, or whether for some unknown reason the problem is at my end. Any help much appreciated. Thank you. 

I think many of us will be unsurprised by the collapse in passenger numbers. But the freight results are shocking. If this is any guide as to what's happening in the real economy, these numbers are beyond awful. I am astonished and hope someone with better insight can perhaps shed some light. Regional GDP has bounced back reasonably strongly in much of Asia but this does not seem to be reflected in these freight figures. 

A thai friend of mine (who is a reliable) messaged me about this today. She owns a bar and knows many other bar owners in HH. Her son knew the victim's boyfriend quite well. Her information is that the victim was not the intended target, and was shot by mistake/accident. This makes the murder even more senseless and tragic. She mentioned the intended target but I will refrain from mentioning this. 

Was in HH last week for a short break and did some splurge eating. Having seen a recommendation on Mark Wiens YouTube channel (he is an Asian street food guru) I tried out the lobster thermidore at Lung Ja in the night market. Generally I am not keen on eating in the night market. The restaurants are often unclean, and can be very hot, service frequently poor, and prices are much higher than less touristy areas - approx. 50% more than the “local” seafood restaurants in takiab thong village. Having said all of that I was really pleased with the meal. The lobster meat was perfectly cooked, really tender (unlike the tough tiger prawns in most places) and the sauce was surprisingly good with a very rich cheesy flavor. Obviously not cheap by local standards but will definitely return again. Think I paid 2000 baht for a good portion for 2 people. Recommended.


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I have been visiting HH for many years and own a vacation home there. As far as I am aware the jellyfish problem in HH has not really changed over time, that is it remains a problem. The number of jellyfish seems to vary with the weather, currents and time of year. Stormy rough weather seems to bring them closer in. Sometimes there are very many and other times none are visible. I am sure there are others who have specific knowledge of the current situation. I was there last week and saw none on my one beach outing, Most of the jelly fish are the harmless large flat white/grey variety but the smaller red type is extremely dangerous. Over the years I have seen quite a few of the red ones washed up in the sand. So you do need to be careful. As regards water cleanliness that is hard to judge. Unlike, say Samui, the water off the cost of Hua Hin is rarely crystal clear because of sediment etc. That does not mean it’s dirty, just unclear. Having said that recently I visited Prachuap which is about an hour south of HH and the water there was beautifully clear. Unfortunately all of the main tourist areas of thailand have serious problems of one sort or another, many man made. So for unspoilt travel you need to get off the beaten path, as I am sure you know well. You might want to have a look at Prachuap. It’s very quiet and unspoilt.


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I was at Kao Tao South beach today for lunch and a sea swim. The restaurant manager advised against swimming because of a lot of jellyfish currently.

This is a problem I am very familiar with, since I have been coming to HH for many years.

Just wondering if anyone has a view in the current jellyfish situation around HH. I seem to recall people saying if there has been a lot of rain this attracts the jelliyfish closer in towards the show.

Any thoughts?


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Thank you. I think I have partially solved the problem. This is complicated and I dont understand completely the factors - but here is my experience, in case others have a similar problem. 

To address the question above I have successfully dialled US and UK. So the issue is specific to Dubai. And I have tried several numbers so the issue is unrelated to the specific numbers. It is a Dubai connection problem. I have also just tried calling an Australia number and could not get connected there either, so there appear to be various overseas countries I cannot connect to, but some I can. Why some and not others is the question. 

I have consulted a British friend who lives in Bangkok and has been doing a lot of work in Dubai. She has had numerous problems with Dubai calls over the years.

Essentially her view is the problem could be caused by a line capacity issue in the connection - the "pipes" are not wide enough for volume of traffic, so try another time. I have tried calling just now when Dubai has not yet started work, and UK is asleep (dont know if calls go via UK???), but to no avail. This could be the reason, but perhaps not. I do not understand how these overseas calls are routed, and thats not a subject I want to get into. 

The other possibility she raised is that my EE (my UK network provider) package does not cover calls from Thailand to UAE. I have tried unsuccessfully to check this online. I will call EE again to ask the question. This was not mentioned in my initial call to them, but perhaps the call centre person is not an expert on call roaming. Instinctively this feels like it could be the reason. But a quick search online indicates this call roaming stuff can get quite complicated pretty quickly so I gave up. Life is too short to become an expert on stuff like this. 

She went on to mention numerous problems with wifi calling with whatsapp, Skype (video enabled) etc which are wholly or partially blocked in UAE - that is a subject for another day. 

She also suggested using the full international exit dialling code - not just the default + key. Apparently the + key means you get defaulted to a low quality line connection. So for UK that would be 001 44 ...Well it seems that for Dubai there are different exit codes depending on the the network. I had no idea about this, quite a surprise. EE roams here in Thailand with DTAC and it appears the exit code with DTAC is 004. So I tried the Dubai number calling with + and separately with 004, and indeed with all of the other exit codes for all networks (001 004 005 006 007 008 009). All attempts failed. So the issue is not the wrong exit prefix, as far as I can tell. And in any event I tried numerous times with the + prefix which always works in my travel experience. In fact this is the first time in about 10 years when I have had to think about international call prefixes. 

So I am stumped. I am going today to buy a mobile and local SIM card which is something I should have done years ago. Hopefully that will work. 

Hello, today I have tried unsuccessfully calling several numbers in Dubai from my UK mobile, while here in Thailand. I do not seem able to get a connection. My phone is using the DTAC mobile network while I am in Thailand. 

I have checked with EE, my service provider, and there are no blocks or anything on my account. 

Is there any reason anyone can think of as to why i am having this problem. 

Thank you for any help. Perry 

12 is a great age to take up golf, although this is obviously more difficult to learn and there is a cost aspect. Tennis is possible. Another possibility is squash (I seem to recall there are courts at the Ambassador Hotel). Fitness/gym/running? Does junior rugby exist in Pattaya?

In general I would be cautious about using lawyers outside of Bangkok, unless you have a very solid recommendation from a reliable source. There are just too many stories around about issues ranging from incompetence to theft. The main problem is that much of the legal work in the big tourist towns is real estate related, and that seems to be where most problems arise. Of course there are problem lawyers in Bangkok as well, so you need to pick selectively.

You need to be careful with wills. If you have an estate in two jurisdictions (Thailand and abroad), and the beneficiaries are overseas, then you need proper advice. It's not a simple will, but its not that complicated either. Ideally you need two wills in both jurisdictions that inter-connect legally.

I can recommend a good lawyer in Bangkok who has handled conveyancing, wills and some litigation for me. A long time and very trusted friend who works and lives in Bangkok has sued him for many many years and recommended. He is competent, honest and responsive. E mail me if you want his details, although using my own advice ideally you should use someoene recommended by someone you know and trust.

I am helping a friend who is seeking an experienced photographer to undertake a (paid for) straightforward fashion and portraiture assigment in Phukhet. The client (who will be the model for the work) needs a modest selection of mixed location photos - ideally some studio based and some outside the studio. The work is not for commercial use. The client would like a portfolio of photos of herself for personal use. The client will supply her own wardrobe.

I am keen to hear from any experienced professional photographers or competent amateurs (with genuine fashion/portraiture) experience. The client lives in Phuket, speaks excellent english, is not a professional model, but is reliable/sensible.

Thank you.

I would suggest you think about renting a car. Last week I rented a honda jazz from avis at the airport at 800bt per day. I suspect there are cheaper deals available with local companies, but not sure about the insurance, hence I go with the big names. There are probably scams with some of the smaller local companies. If you do any amount of travel outside of Patong you will recover the cost very quickly, and be able to see so much more of this very large island. There are several issues that others can perhaps advise on better than me. Congestion (particularly in the evening) can be very bad in the convoluted one way system that operates in Patong as much of the traffic gets shunted onto the beach road. Parking can be tricky. I sense there is a material risk with drink driving and police checks, but not sure. And finally the motorbikes are a real challenge - they are so many everywhere and they are constantly cutting in front of you from all angles. So the risk of an accident is quite high.

Phronesis, please can we agree to disagree. I would like to think if me met in a bar we would get on fine, compare views and move on to other subjects. i dont want to fallout with anyone on this forum. I am perhaps typical of some users of these types of boards - I peer in quite regularly but for various reasons have not shared too many views. There are many reasons for this - its easy to freeload and use a free resource (for which I apologise to the owners), one is nervous about positing to a community that includes people with vastly more experience and knowledge of the country than me, and I already spend too much time at a computer for work. I am not by nature a natural poster. Having said that I thought I would start following my recent trip. It seems to have caused an unfortunate reaction from you. Lets move on to other matters. I am keen to be a more active contributor and will perhaps pick less emotive subjects in future. Perhaps we can find other areas where we have common views. Oh and BTW I am nothing to do with bikinis and martinis or any such publication. I just got bored with beer about ten years ago and started drinking more wine and cocktails (which had a good effect on the wasitline). Best.

Phronesis, perhaps I should have added the word "easily". The statement as written is a bit OTT, but I was trying to convey the sense that Phuket really does offer some rather extraordinary experiences, and I was trying to offer a contrary view to what i perceive to be quite a lot of anti-Phuket sentiment around, which I understand (expensive, lousy infrastructure, too many scams, Russian invasion, etc). My experience is nowhere in Thailand is perfect and all locations either for a visit or as a place to live involve various trade offs, and those trade offs are highly subjective.

A few examples that reflect my experience - I had a perfect martini (which I have never managed to find anywhere in Thailand), a private boat charter to the extraordinarily beautiful Phangnga Bay, a near perfect sunset drink from Baba's nest, certainly one of the the best high end Italian meals I have eaten anywhere. The beach clubs at Kata and Surin were a revelation, seriously cool sophisticated places to chill out and have a cocktail - I have not come across anything quite like these outside of the Mediterranean.

No doubt there are other amazing experiences to be had elsewhere in Thailand - for example various visits to Isaan have been equally memorable but in different ways. I also think a major qualification is relevent - many of the best things in Phuket tend to be very expensive which is of course problematic. But the same can be said of my favourite cities, NY, Paris, Hong Kong and Sydney (and BTW I am not comparing Phuket with any of these cities). It does not make me like them any less, just means I cant visit as often as I would like. They all have their downsides as does Phuket. I suppose this is a rather roundabout way of saying I now understand (in a way that hitherto I had not) why the Phuket property market is the leading international residential resort market in Asia (by a country mile). I suspect this will continue for along while yet, foreign money will continue to pour in from China/Russia/India/the Gulf , prices will go up etc. Quite where it all ends is unclear because without major infrastructure investment it surely cannot last.

It seems to me the substantive issue is that both central Bangkok and Phuket are extremely expensive places (by Thai standards), comparable to major international cities in Europe, at least in terms of some of the most visible expenditure categories (accomodation, food/drink, leisure) for visitors (not residents). A high end steak or italian restaurant or an upscale bar in Bangkok or Phuket is comparable in price to central London. This is the biggest change over the past few years and reflects the strength of the baht versus the weak pound, significant land price inflation in central Bangkok/Phuket, and a flood of foreign money pouring in from Asia. Phuket really is the playground of the super rich in SE Asia for whom 7000bt green fees or 40000bt boat day charters or 20000bt hotel rooms are normal. This stratospheric inflation at the top end of the market seems to be pulling all prices up. At the high end of the market I am not sure there is much difference in price between the two, not least because it is hard to compare a 5* city centre hotel with a beach resort.

At the margin, Bangkok is cheaper for hotel rooms, mainly because of the over-supply of 5* hotels - which charge 4* prices. You can still get amazing hotel deals in Bangkok at the upper end - Bt5000 at the brand new 5* Marriott Residence on Sathorn for a 65 sq m room. Golf is vastly cheaper in Bangkok. I think restuarant and bar prices are comparable. Taxis, car hire broadly similar. Likewise spa/massage. Retail is much the same as all the malls have the same chains. However in Phuket you can spend all day at the beach on a sun lounger for 100bt - try doing anything in Bk for 100bt all day. Nightlife, Bk wins hands down.

I am just back from a business trip to Singapore. That really is an expensive place and makes Bk feel quite cheap by comparason.

Bubblegum, I would not recommend any expensive places because value judgements are so subjective. However I can thoroughly recommend La Cappanina to anyone living on the island. It is a really great value family run trattoria with the most amazing pizza - I should say I found it through this website. You would never stumble on it by chance since it is tucked down the end of a very obscure soi in patong.

Ditto Yes Coffee which is a rather curious place. It is a Korean owned coffee business in Nai Harn. They specialise in single origin 100% arabica coffee from Thailand (Chiang Mai). It is not easy to find - down a small lane leading off Soi Naya - as you approach the lagoon by Nai Harn beach (turn left for the beach), you turn right down soi naya, proceed for a few hundred yeards and there is a small lane off to the left, its up there. In the vicinity of coco palace resort. You can view the roasting room and then sample the produce in a simple but very pleasant coffee shop - hot and iced coffees of various types. And you can buy beans to take away. I think they also sell various coffee making contraptions including the stove top Bialetti Moka Express (my preferred method) and the Korean/Japanese thing that looks like it comes out of a chemistry lab - two glass flasks and a burner. I like the thai coffee - it is smooth, good flavour, not overly aggreessive. The manager is a very ernest english speaking young korean chap who gives you a "tour" of the facility. All in all a world away from starbucks.

I ate at La Capannina in Patong last week - the main restaurant at the end of Soi Nanai 2, not the sister restaurant on Nanai Road (which is very noisy and somewhat limited to pizza menu).

I wanted to report the pizza was quite sublime, and made me realise that I have eaten far too many average pizzas in my life. In every respect it was perfectly cooked, prepared etc. My friend had the fritto misto (mixed small fish fried) which was enough food for three people - a vast portion of very nice seafood. A very wide selection of inexpensive and superior (by Thai standards) wine, very authentic Italian ambience and great service at this family onwed restaurant. One of the best value meals I have eaten in Thailand in many years.