TroubleandGrumpy

We use booking.com and agoda - whoever has the best deals we then go with them. Booking direct is rarely cheaper but does happen. Lately agoda has been the best deals - seems in low season they have better rates. Hotel in Bangkok we are at this week was 30% below the booking.com rate and much cheaper than direct.

Ditto. But unfortunately a lot of hotels and 'customers' who never actually met, got money from the scheme. People were staying with friends and getting paid - it was a poorly organised shambles, but it worked.

Yep that is how they paint and make laws here - no fix or clean first - just paint straight on, and then again - make it look good. Does not matter if it is not good. Repeat 6 to 12 months later.

Nail on the head hit. They are who gains from this.

Tried all week and gave up. After all the reports of ripoff pricing and complicated bookings we have decided to give it a miss. Because it was scammed last time, TAT is trying to prevent it being abused this time around. As with all Thai 'systems' especially TAT, it is badly organised and implemented.

Oh look. Another mental retard to be blocked.

BS. You are her fall back guy. A safe bloke to turn to when needed. Grow a pair and grow up.

The vast majority of those imports from China are in fact repacked goods which are then exported to USA and other countries to bypass the tariffs on China. This has been going on for decades and it is about time the West shut China down. Thailand is screwed and they know it, but cannot work a deal to make the best out of it. The Thai Chamber of Commerce yesterday was demanding the Thai Govt negotiate a zero tariff with USA because the economy is struggling = the delusion is astounding.

UPDATE. I did some new transfers today and the 'Wise delays' are all on Bangkok Bank - irrespective of the amount. When I entered the transactions for 10K AUD each, I input the BB accounts as receivers. Before the final step, the Wise system said amounts 'will be received on Monday 14th". I then cancelled them both before sending. I then started two separate transactions later 10K to our Krungsri accounts, and the Wise system said that both transfers would be received 'immediately'. The transactions to me were selected as 'for long term stay in country' and for the wife they were both 'sending money to family' - so that was not the issue. Bangkok Bank take 3 days (weekend) and Krungsri is done instantly. Says it all. It is not Wise - it is the bank. Once my annual renewal is done we will be switching over to Krungsri - as long as their new Biz Online banking service is free.

The left lie to themselves all the time - so lying to others comes naturally - they are like many women. Just like women too, their sense of self is completely askew, and they have no concept of accountability for their actions or lies.

Fair enough - the advantages of being female are endless (as are the disadvantages).

He didn't face prosecution did he ? ( clue mental fitness) ergo he was too senile as reported and now fully exposed. Yep - he was determined not to be able to fully recall the events that lead to them being where they were found, and therefore they should not proceed with charges. Cue insert about Hillary Clinton - spin the wheel and pick a reason not to charge.

Adding to a lot of the comments, I would have to say that is was also because of the marriage laws in Australia. After being divorced and financially rap** in my late-40s I vowed to never be in that situation again. Over the years I have known a lot of blokes that got divorced and then re-married - and except for one bloke, they were all divorced again within 5-10 years and financially rap** again. So I saved up my money and looked after the kids and then retired early and looked where to retire overseas. Decided Thailand after visiting most of them and after a few years met a lovely Thai lady - best decision of my life. But if it was a bad decision I could have walked away with all my money - 10 years coming up - happy as the proverbial pig. Love the people - hate the Government.

Union is a better game when played at the top level - so much better on many levels. But watching Union being played by 'local' teams (or women) is atrocious. League is OK to watch when played by the 'locals' - still effed when women try to play it.

Laurie was very bad - but I have a worse one for you. In fact he is the greatest rugby league player of all time. Wally Lewis. There is a reason why all the great coaches of team sports were 'good' players, but not greats. The greats did what they did through extreme talent and capabilities, whereas the good players have to work out the game completely, and decide how to play based on what were their best advantages. The greats (geniuses) just did what they did and it was mainly 'natural' for them.

Trump has a love hate relationship with the woke liberal MSM. The media loves Trump because of all the clicks they get from their delusional mentally damaged base, when they publish yet another BS story. Trump, like all rational people, hates the MSM.

Yes mate - if they put me through it again, then retirement it is - I will let you know about the letter in Oct. As you say, there is always a few 'unpleasant' ones - and complaining will only make it worse 🙂 Frankly, the 800K versus 400K is the main reason I used Marriage this time around. The money is not the problem, it is that I only bring over money when I need it because I get much better returns on the money in Australia. 400K in Australia earns me about 2000 Baht a month - a game of golf 🙂 Why sit 800K here and earn SFA interest for 4-6 months when I can sit only 400K. But if they do all that again, I will consider the lost earnings worth the price. Plus I just recalled that I was also very annoyed to find out that I cannot leave the Province or Country while the approval is 'under review' for 30 days. Next time for sure.

TAT is gonna just love this - more negatives about the country that is the Hub of Negatives in SEAsia.

Interesting. I think that is an additional factor to the possible reasons for delays. Years ago I worked for a 'telecoms aggregator' and we sold telecommunications systems and networks. We did not have any national or international services ourselves (not a carrier), but we leased 'big pipes' from all the big players. What we did was use on whatever day and time, the carrier services who were offering the best deals on that day at that time. All the BS about resilience and backup was sort of true, but the real reasons was because we could get a better profit. I think Wise are doing that - using whatever transfer system is the cheapest to send money to whatever bank in whatever country. That might be the case in many places - but here in Thailand I think the problem is more Bangkok Bank. And with all their recent BS about bank letters and all their other new rules targeting fraud, I am looking into swapping over to Krungsri for all our main banking activity.

I did not keep a copy because I had to take it straight back to the IO - should have taken a photo. Yes I asked that when I previously visited the Office and was told no - it must be a bank letter. I visited because we had moved there from Rayong. They gave me a list of documents to provide - 'bank letter' was all it stated. While in the bank waiting for the 2nd letter, met another Expat who was also waiting for the letter. When I mentioned the reason, he said that KK are absolutely ridiculous and demand all sorts of things. He warned me that they will visit and they will give me a 'lecture' - plus I will have to have 2 witnesses sign paperwork and be there while I am 'lectured'. He was right and he lectured me (through the wife - no english) for 10 minutes. I was extremely annoyed - I felt like jumping up and telling the little self-important hitler to get the fu** out of my house. And then the little tu** had the temerity to demand a photo of us all with him - taken by his one of lackeys (he had 2 with him). Needless to say I was not smiling. The sheite I put up with the live here - sometimes it gets me down. I am doing the extension again here later in the year - I will let you know the outcome. I am hoping it will be 'better' because this is my second time extending in this Province. If it is the same BS visit and a effin lecture, I will be converting to a Retirement Extension next time.

That must have cost TAT a lot of money. I looked up Travelbag, the rag that published this BS list, and they are not in the top 10 of UK travel agents (Google AI). Same with the Top50 Travel Agents awards 2025 - no where to be seen. Oh TAT - youv'e done it again.

More anti-Trump rhetoric from the MSM - specifically from the biggest woke liberal rag there is - WSJ. They just love stoking the fires of their delusional woke fanbase - obtaining click bait ticks in response. Meanwhile the majority have woken up to their lies and distortions, and more wake up every day.

@DrJack54 Khon Kaen Immigration demands that the bank letter states the balance and that the amount has been 400K+ for at least the previous 2 months. I took the 'standard' balance letter last year and the IO rejected it. I offered the IO the passbook showing that over 400K was in the account for more than 2 months - but it was rejected. I had to go back to the bank again and ask for the letter to state that at least 400K had been in the account for over 2 months.

Dead right - Thailand still thinks they are 'special' and deserve special treatment. I was talking with a bloke the other week about the benefits of colonialisation - we could feel the wokes squirming on their stools. Besides the imposition of organised and structured Government and Legal institutions, and the associated improvements in everything from language to educational and medical services - it also gives the people the ability to 'have a say' through their democratic rights. Thailand is still being run and controlled by those who have power and wealth - mainly with Chinese ancestry. Thailand needed to be colonised to put in place the structures that were needed, and to then give the people the opportunity to 'rebel' and take back what they want and keep what they want. Like a teenager - rebelling is part of growing up and is a necessary process - Thailand has never really 'grown up' - they still live in their parent's basement. Offering free/cheap Visas and beaches and girls is not enough anymore - this trade issue is but one of many things that is showing Thailand to be 'stuck in the past' - the world changed because of Covid. They are still a Provincially based amalgamation of isolated and ignorant Thiefdoms - with the biggest one being Bangkok - and they dont give a rat's rear end about the rest of the country. Playing both sides and leaning towards China too much in the recent past, is coming back at them hard - so they are doubling down rather than folding and taking the loss. I hope Trump's team hits them with 40% and that the inevitable economic collapse forever changes Thailand - from top to bottom.

Hopefully the 'Trump Effect' will spread around the world and the Governments of all countries will again start doing their jobs - looking after the interests of its own citizens - first. Not saying they are good systems of Governments, but it seems to me that China and Russia are doing what is best for their people first. Sure Democracy has many advantages over Communism, but neither of those Governments are looking after the citizens of other countries at the expense of their own. IMO it was an inevitable outcome from the formation of the UN - powerful centralised organisations will always believe that they have the answers to everything. The truth is that all the UN will ever achieve is to make everyone equally poor, hungry and ignorant - but they will all be equal. The forum created for the exchange of issues and problems in order to avert another world war, has degenerated into an uncontrolled mish mash of minority interests and BS causes lead by unelected mandarins.