KhaoNiaw

You don't think that's a possibility? I really have no idea about the setup. And neither do you. All we can do is speculate.

I think that's correct. If they were brought together in Florida she would have been younger than the age of consent. I don't think that has ever been her argument though. She claims to have been coerced and trafficked. Is there an age limit on that?

Yes, on Laos FB groups it looks like people using the bridge to enter Laos. Seems like there are some VTE-BKK flights now so more convenient to fly into Thailand I guess.

You have to book them through approved tour companies in Laos. I believe they would take care of the details of the crossing at the bridge, quarantine etc. So not possible to do a quick trip over and back, but the border isn't completely closed at that one crossing. I don't think it's possible to get a Thai visa in Laos either, even if you did go over as a tourist because the embassy is not on the approved tourist route/venues in Laos, and presumably not even open for the possibility.

Borders are not completely closed. You can cross at the Nong Khai - Vientiane bridge if you meet all requirements. People are doing it. Requirements from Thailand to enter Laos: Double vaccinated, negative pcr test result, COE approved by GOL, appropriate visa in passport, confirmed hotel booking for quarantine 7 days, covid insurance, monitoring tracker bracelet and confirmation from Covid Task Force who will transport you from border to hotel.

To visit Laos short-term you can enter as a tourist under the following conditions: For tourists you must be with a tour company. You still need a CoE and visa to come in. You must stay in the 'green zone' and there are various other restrictions on your movements. You need to do up to 48 hours hotel quarantine and then, as long as you have a negative PCR test, you are able to join your tour. It seems that some companies are organising tours for one or two people so you can have a fair amount of flexibility.

Does it make any difference where you're based with Payoneer? Would it better to use a UK address rather than a Thai one for example?

Yes, me too. It's not really clear from this. But as the payments don't go through the checkout each time I guess it won't work? Maybe it will? I've got a couple where Visa from the debit card didn't work directly but using it through PayPal was fine.

So I guess subscription payments will stop?

From today, 3rd February, Laos has just reduced quarantine requirements for travellers (I think still as in business, official travellers etc.) entering the country from 14 to 2 days.

I thought PayPal would still work for receiving payments if you have a registered Thai company?

There's also nothing there from the authorities in Laos to say that they will allow independent travellers to cross or lift any of their current quarantine restrictions. It would be quite a major development. At the moment, tourists are only permitted from certain countries through approved tour groups. It's possible to enter by land for official / business purposes etc. under the following conditions: All nationalities (including Lao) must obtain a COE (certificate of entry), be fully vaccinated (2 doses) and quarantine 14 days (unless partial exemption from employer or MOFA / covid task force) You can enter by land (Nong Khai border only) or air (VTE Wattay airport only)

This is copy and paste from some Laos Facebook groups. Phase 1 of reopening to tourists under the Green Zone scheme is originally intended to be January to March, I think, and only for group tours under quite strict travel conditions. Under the new Lao Green zone Scheme, travel is limited to tours & green zones. (See Q&A below) The tourist e-visas provided are NOT transferable to multiple entry with stay permit. You must register with a green zone tour agency to arrange all of your trip as a tourist. From January 1st 2022 you arrive at a pre-arranged quarantine hotel and as part of an approved tour group. You will be tested for Covid and have to wait for the negative result. You then ‘quarantine’ as a mobile group only visiting approved locations and accommodations for 14 days. Further travels are restricted as well. —— Green zone Q&A for tourism only —— The green zone travel entry option is still in the process of training and refining all the rules and restrictions for travelers during the 3 phase reopening process (Q1, Q2 & Q3 2022) However, there are 3 things you should keep in mind: (1) Reopening program focuses on tourism purpose only. (2) Any places you visit need to be included in the safety list and certified by the government. (3) Anywhere you go, you need to go with the tour guide and driver. You cannot go out and wave down any drivers on the street and go with them. Here are some questions that we usually have from the travelers. 1. Can I come to Laos to work or live based on tourism scheme? >> The answer is a big "NO". The program is for tourism purpose only. If you plan to come to Laos to work or live, you need to come based on the COE + visa program. Contact us for more detail. 2. Can I visit the embassy? >> The answer is no. No embassy is certified to receive tourists at their building. 3. Can I visit my husband / wife at their house? >> The same answer as #2. No private house is included in the safety list. 4. Can I go to restaurants or market by myself? >> No, you cannot. Everywhere you go, you will be escorted by your guide and driver. Moreover, the restaurants or markets that you visit need to be included in the safety list. 5. Can I have guests visiting me at my hotel? >> This varies by the hotel policies. Most hotels will let you have guess visiting at the hotel's restaurant or bar or reception area. Very few hotels will let you have a guest in your room.

I don't think it's laziness. You're using the regular everyday spoken pronunciation, which is probably what you've heard most. The 'correct' standard Thai is what you would from a TV newsreader, for example. Many Thais are capable of using both depending on the situation, formality etc. If you only use Thai for informal casual communication, it really doesn't make any difference. But if you're ever trying to make a good impression in a more formal situation with better-educated Thais, it might be worth making an effort.

Remnants of the bubble bursting and financial crisis of 1997. I cant remember the name of the project or company even. There were stories a couple of times a few years later about them being taken on by new investors but nothing ever seemed to happen.

I think you could well be right. But Omicron has clearly peaked in the UK and on the way down. I'd guess we're 3-4 weeks behind that. No real way of telling though with the amount of testing going on here.

The equivalent here would probably be Stickboy's demise.

For reopening to tourists, Laos started their Phase 1 after New Year. Tourists from specific countries are only allowed to come in on group tours with approved companies and stick to specific 'green zones'. I think that's Jan-March. Phase 2, April-June, is meant increase the green zone areas and maybe open up more border points, but not sure if it allows more freedom to arrive in the country without being in a tour group. Then Phase 3 from July is meant to make things much more open. From what I've read, there have not been many tour groups visiting in Phase 1, so maybe they will try to open things up a bit quicker.

Thai Elite is a class of tourist visa is it not? I don't know if this precludes you getting a tax ID or not

https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2021/nov/19/blog-posting/dozens-prominent-athletes-did-not-die-heart-attack/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2021/06/20/fact-check-christian-eriksen-didnt-receive-covid-19-vaccine/7713275002/ https://www.reuters.com/article/factcheck-coronavirus-sport-idUSL1N2T81NY

That is just utter nonsense. Already proven to be a complete lie

Nice historical footnote. In 1918, a unit of the Royal Siamese Army marched into Germany to occupy part of the Rhineland - a fact that is largely unknown today.

That maybe true at some offices. But from CW my in-person, online or mail-in reports have never gone from the expiry date of the previous 90 days. Always from the the day submitted or processed. This was also the case for me using the new system, though I have seen others saying that it went from the expiry date. It seems to be one of those things that depends on the office/officer processing the report.

I didn't get any option to update nationality, only to put in the ID number. I've found that having done that, it now gives the option to edit and use driving licence number instead. There is also an option to add passport details.

Maybe. It really wants a 13-digit Thai ID number (no letters). But possibly any 13 digits would work.