Middle Aged Grouch

Good for you and as you mention, it was 20 years ago. Times have changed and very often one has to argue with the taxi fellow on arrival at Suvarnabhumi Airport to use the meter. Not to mention the other hidden *extras* they try to charge like toll or special airport tax. It is true that there are these extras to some extent but there are always dishonest ones...quite a few, who inflate the ride. I prefer to hire a private chauffeur driven car. A bit more of course in cost, but it avoids having to hand out me cash to a taxi cheat. Even better is the railway link that leaves from Suvarnabhumi basement and drops you directly in the heart of BKK at Paya Thai stop.

If you are in a house developpment, try not to use the managers of the property as they tend to over charge the owners and ask for absurd rates for pool maintenance or cleaning. Mainly in those swanky pool villa developpments in Hua Hin for exemple.

Sorry, but I reserve my sensible answers for sensible people only.

Oh dear, another bootlicker.

Amazon also had issues a few days ago with their double authentification OTP sms that was down. Looks that there is a load of issues or problem either technical with all the recent updates due to eventual cyber attacks ? Gets scary to use an Android phone as they sometimes seem to need almost daily updates on the apps. iPhones seem the most secure...for the moment. Of course you will always have the nerd comming over, not minding his business and claiming it's not true, that iPhones are bad and ugly and bla bla...but seeing how many updates are needed on an Android, I prefer by far my iPhone that seems to have better protection agains all the cyber criminal scum.

Very true, but don't worry, the Bib will be waiting for the tourists at 4 am and see how they can harass to make some tea money on the wee and dark corners of Sukhumvit.

Oh man !! many of my sour overaged fellow grouches here have not been to Ibiza or other party islands ? neither to some top europe destinations where the clubs close at 5 or 6 am and then you have the "after parties" that last till noon. Of course it can have inconveniences to close so late with all the drunks or drugs. But it could help the economy as the hookers in the clubs in Bankgkok (that means almost all the women in a dance club) would have a bit more time to find a hansum drunk falang to pay some high absurd rate, for the "private service" back in the farang's hotel room.

The fact in having 5980 posts does not make one more smart. It could be a sign that one does not have a life besides posting all day ? But then maybe I am wrong. If you get offended by his post, do what you preach....put on ignore.

Choose another country as they will hassle you at immigration on arrival and all the pre registration and mess they create for flights to America in the airport of departure.

Same as in Thailand where Thai banks not only refuse foreign numbers to secure accounts via the OTP sms, but also make it a pain in the Axx for foreigners to open a bank account. Not surprising that foreign money will start to go to other countries.

Due to all the mad people in that region on both sides, the war bursting out will have consequences on civilian flight routes and delay the flight time or maybe taking new routes. I would avoid any middle eastern airlines like Emirates or Qatar for the moment as the trigger happy madman are on both sides involved. The Biden cronies in Washington and Langley, Va are obviously doing their best to fuel another large scale war with juicy arms deals on the horizon. Rather then calling for civilised peace talks through diplomacy., ike the Clinton administration did in the past with success.

Agoda can be a hassle if you need a refund for any reason. Booking ? no questions asked and it's done immediatly.

Not to forget those taxi cheats who start right on arrival at Suvarnabhum airport in Bangkok. Taxi drivers refusing the meter, pretending not to understand english when it suits them or inventing absurd extra charges. This gives a bad image of Thailand and often gets reported in the western press in Europe to warn tourists before high season. Many countries issue warnings to their citizens on such scams in Thailand to warn tourists before the high season. This criminal incident in Patts with the taxi driver is however a league above. But nobody seems to care in Thailand as usual and you will always have the gullible claiming all is fine. I never argue at the taxi stand in arrivals of Bangkok airport. Before loading my luggage I use the mantra "Chai meter mai ? ". If the driver refuses. I just say thank you and take another number at the ticket machine and try with another taxi and so on. They end up in understanding that the game is up.

Not to forget that some of biggest cheats in Thailand are the farangs. Those in real estate very often. No matter if they are english speaking natives or from some of those frozen nordic countries of Europe. They will be all sugar and spice before sale. Once you sign, buy and pay either on freehold or leasehold, they will become somewhat rude, try to avoid having to amend technical problems and flaws in their construction and badly finished work. Any excuse will be good to try to say the problem is normal or not important, when it comes that it is their responsability. Watch and see how they try their best never to be available when you try to meet them in their office in those housing developpments. Indirectly they will harm the economy with bad service and relations with their customers on delivering bad quality finishes in their houses. People talk and news spreads fast nowdays mainly in small beach towns of Thailand.

Especially Cambodia will not start to take tax from farangs and the money got from abroad.

Another immigration absurdity that will hurt tourism with the TM30 and the need of individual home owners to register themselves first then have to register say their relatives or friends wishing to come to Thailand for a short visit. Better of to meet and greet friends and visit another country for the short winter holiday. Far less hassle and trouble from immigration. No wonder tourism is dropping.

Sell. Sell as many foreigners are trying now in Thailand. Not to mention how the condo developpments can cheat their farang owners or those having bought a house on land lease purchases in gated developpments. In a house developpement they will charge you far more then the market price for basic issues like cleaning or gardening or even the electricity. Not to mention that often the work is badly done and the developpers often refuse to admit their flaws (electricity, paint work or plumbing). Not to mention the exorbitant monthly common fees invoiced by the managment, that are not justified in many beach towns like Hua Hin or Phuket. They also have no respect for other people's property when the owners are out of the country and do not properly check and watch when any maintenance work done. Guilable europeans and foreigners pay and do not bother on elementary research to mandate reliable services (gardener, cleaner etc) that are independant from the housing community managment.

Chinese anycase do not spend much. They also often carry their own groceries in their luggage and chose guest houses with kitchens.

With all this new racket on tax, people should start shifting/investing to other more foreigner friendly nations in Asia and next to Thailand.

Why one may think that you have been scammed ? Because usually you are better off paying a flat rate for your stay and no extra and seperate charges for water or electricity or cleaning like it is done in some developpments who rent houses in beach towns. But free for you to have your idea on the issue. Have a nice evening.

So the checks and harassment will start to harass foreigners at the airport carrying cash ? With this no more foreigners will want to risk comming to Thailand.

Why do many foreigners come to Thailand and discriminate the Thai's and other foreigners ? Must be because they were themselves left out and shunned in their respective countries. Learn to respect youself, then you will respect others. Respect others and they will respect you.

Dentists are known crooks (many, not all obviously). Be it in Thailand, in Hungary or in France. Use your instinct and feeling with the physician. One can sense if he or she is just out to make a fast buck by cheating the patsy farang.

Then you have been scammed.

It's your new sextoy ?