Everything posted by TroubleandGrumpy
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ASEAN NOW to be purchased by The Thaiger?
Both AN and TT have the same core online system and already share a lot of stuff as you know. It makes sense to merge it all into one - good for the members, but much better for a lot of business reasons. Good luck with whatever happens going forward George. If you are cashing in on Thaiger (like Tim did) and are going 'on a holiday', then best wishes going forward mate. But if you get a couple of old khrapy fishing huts and refurbish them and offer them at 4000 Baht a night - I wont be staying 😁
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Bangkok Launches Major Pavement Renovation Project
The shopkeepers will all be happy - new surface and more room to place their khrapp and gear, thus blocking the footpath. Unless of course the contrcators from Pattaya are used - and it will be like this :-
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Telephoning Australia
True. But the OP was about making a call to Australiua. Skype has as you said, options to receive calls, but limited SMS, and no OTP. But I dont use Skype for anyhting other than making or receiving calls or vids. I have a mobile phone SIM from Australia that I keep on an old second phone - I get all my OTPs from Australia using that (for free).
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Where are the women on this site?
AND die old and lonely surrounded by cats - who will eat you if your body is not found quickly.
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Chiang Mai battles extensive forest fires and severe air pollution
NASA fires map last 24 hours shows far less than normal now in Chiang Mai Province. There are heaps today in Laos though - unless they drop water on them by flying into their countries, then they will not get put out. Thaiger - Hub of Quality Journalists.
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Telephoning Australia
As I said - if the person or organisation you call does not have Line (or Viber) then you cannot call them free. Skype allows you to call anyone - mobile or landline - and it is dirt cheap. Viber has the option to call a non-viber number - but you must pay for it and Skype is cheaper and is a much better service.
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British tourist found dead in drain following pub crawl on notorious 'Death Island'
I agree - Samui is definitely the least 'violent' and least 'mafia controlled' of all the islands. But like all of them it is a scam - just getting there is a scam.
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Poll: As a Pattaya expat, do you hate the week-long water-splashing Songkran?
When we saw Thais drawing water from the moat in Chaing Mai one year, we realised that not all the water being sprayed or splashed around was clean water. At the best it will be tap water - which even the Thais dont drink (only the poor ones) - and I definitely dont want that in my face. We have always avoided being out on the streets in Songkran ever since - only travel in car and directly into Mall carpark etc.
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Couple of 'Lightweight' Russians 'slugging' it out in family friendly Phuket.
Do they realise there will be blowback later about all the Russians in Phuket - from the quality family tourists that Thailand wants. There has been so many media stories about Thailand this season, that many 'quality' tourists planning next season will have second thoughts. This has been happening for several years now, and the Thai authorities have as usual just ignored it all, because 'we are best in world hub tourism'. They just dont get it - people dont look at the official travel warnings anymore - people are not influenced by the TAT activities that much - people see the social media stories and coming out of Thailkand for a long time it has been bad news. People remember all the khrapp that they had to go though in Thailand during Covid - they remember the scams and total BS Thailand imposed on people. I know the Thai people generally have short memories, but surely those in authority will begin to realise they have a problem - I know they will never admit it - but surely they know it. It has not been made public in Thailand, and probably never will be, but in 2023 there were more tourists into Malaysia (26 million) than into Thailand (24 million). 26 Million is the same number that went to Malaysia in 2019. 2023 was the first time Malaysia has beaten Thailand, and first time it has been number one destination in SEAsia. Thailand's tourism in 2019 was 39 million - in 2023 it was 24 million - a decline of 15 million. While Malaysia's tourism in 2023 was back to what is was in 2019, Thailand's tourism was down 38%. World tourism in 2023 was on average, 90% of what it was in 2019. Thailand tourism and therefore its economy is in trouble - big trouble.
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British tourist found dead in drain following pub crawl on notorious 'Death Island'
Good questions - especially about the girlfriend of 10 years. They 'separated' during the night and his body was found the next day? When the next day?? One report said next afternoon - was she drugged/etc - was he robbed (phone gone?). Why was the death not reported until now - saving toursims? So many questions - probably get the same answers as before - some poor Burmese did it. I dont like the Islands in Thailand - from Phuket to Kao Tao - they are all 'not so good'. And as an Aussie, I hate Samui.
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Best BP monitor for home use?
Made in Japan Models | Personal Lines | Medical | Products | A&D (aandd.jp) Bought this is Aust some years ago - works great and extremely accurate - cannot say the same for the devices in most Clinics here. Best to take pressure first thing in morning and keep a record.
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Any recommendations for a shop to replace the body of a laptop?
Youtube - find video on how to dismantle your model. Always easier to do repairs with bolts/glues etc with the laptop dismantled and the casing clear of components. Good opportunity to clean things up and remove all the dust/lint that collects in there too. If you can, get some new thermal compound and change it (CPU) - a good clean up will often make it run better/cooler.
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Telephoning Australia
Do you have a Skype account? Get one - download the app and call using Skype. Alternatively does the person you are calling have Line or similar social app? You can call them using that app. There is no cheap way to make a 'phone call' - but you can make an IP Call using internet via social app or app like skype.
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Australian OAP Taxation Issues.
Gotta agree with that - unblocked and ready for a laugh - probably wont take long 😁
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Bangkok Bank App Sending funds to UK
In Baht? Or in GPB after being converted/exchanged and fees applied.
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OJ Simpson died owing more than $100MILLION to families of murder victims
I am never happy to hear about the death of a person - but for OJ I make a rare exception and I hope he was in a lot of pain. In my life I have taken the view that it does not really matter whether you believe in God or not - but that it is better to live as a good person in the hope that there is a Heaven, rather than living as a bad person abd be in hope there is no Hell. I sure hope there is a Hell, because if there is, OJ is there.
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hotels insisting on passport at checkin (for TM30?)
Exactly correct - most hotels do not want to have to lodge an online report - nothing in it for them. But obviously some Expats here demand they do that by immediately handing over their Passport. Just wait - maybe they wont ask - if they dont ask that means they dont want it and they dont want to have to do an online report.
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hotels insisting on passport at checkin (for TM30?)
Over the last year or so we have stayed in many hotels - only one hotel asked - and they backed off and all was good. You clearly like telling everyone else what to do - stickler for the rules or something? And I am grumpy ! She is trouble !!
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hotels insisting on passport at checkin (for TM30?)
Not sure how that makes it difficult for others - I did offer my Licence/s and to show a copy of Resident's Certificate on phone - they wanted Passport only. Khrapp hotel anyway - we wont be staying there again.
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Foreigner's Shocking Behavior On Soi 4 Sparks Outrage in Bangkok [videos]
Arrest and Deport - then mnaybe numpties from overseas will realise the downsides of being an animal in Thailand.
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hotels insisting on passport at checkin (for TM30?)
Good luck mate - those of us who have had the experience of dealing with Immigration know that they are best avoided at any cost.
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hotels insisting on passport at checkin (for TM30?)
We book everything in the wife's name and she checks in - I hang back at car etc. Only one problem hotel who wanted passport - but I smiled and said no hab forgot. They kept asking and said to the wife about Immigration coming and them gettinmg into trouble if they see me. Wife said tell them he left it behind - all sorted - my fault. They backed down and every day after that it was all smiles each day. No need or benefit to me or them - only possible downside if next 90 days is rejected for not 'reporting' properly or something - probably not happen, but why risk it. We have been doing that since last year - all booking accounts and bank accounts used are in Wife's name - no official records of me being there. If I must show Passport to an Immigration Officer then I will suddenly find the Pasport - but I am not showing it to the lovely numpties in the hotels thanks.
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Australian OAP Taxation Issues.
I see egoboy has not responded to any of our comments and posts this week - not complaining 🙂 Interesting post egoboy made today in another thread that clearly IMO precludes his inputs into any OAP forum. He was slagging off about baby boomers and how we will not embrace bitcoin and other cryptocurreny investments - claiming that he of course is killing it (( have met a few of those type of barflies). But the point is that the 'are soul' is not even on the OAP - because you have to be a baby boomer (1946 to early 1960s) and at least 67 to get the OAP - which means 1956 or older - which is right in the middle of the baby boomers. I have blocked the are soul.
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Thai gov. to tax (remitted) income from abroad for tax residents starting 2024 - Part I
I am so glad to hear you are fine - but I was referring to the expectation that the TRD will expect your tax return every year going forward.
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hotels insisting on passport at checkin (for TM30?)
Thanks - any links to the Immigration Office (to show someone).