kinyara

There are no appointments as such, it is first come first served. I'd recommend getting there at 4.30 so you have a chance of getting the first number in the queue as is gets busy quick. Small waiting area inside and plastic chairs set up in the outside area beside the pavement.

You can say that as many times as you like but it will never be true. Western tourism to Thailand has risen over the last decade.

I'd normally expect a detailed analysis to be supported by statistical evidence to support the case being put forward, surprise surprise nothing provided by the Pattaya Mail. A case of Mr Kenyon trolling again for clickbait for his comic of a publication.

After Soi Naklua 18 on Naklua Road if anyone else like me was wondering :))

Evidence if it was needed that forum traffic high season is over. Captain Fiction in daily full flow.

Thanks for that, always helpful to hear what the actual situation is currently from someone who has experienced it first hand.

Why is it people with a heightened sense of their own importance always feel the need to announce their supposed departure, yet they are never the ones to actually leave ? Is it a trolling way to build up hope for others ? You see it in real life and online forums, facebook groups etc. The genuine people who are serious about it realise it's only important to themselves and quietly do it with no grandstanding fanfare.

It's currently much better than that, February 2024 tourist numbers were 3,352k compared to 3,601k in Feb 2019, so now recovered to 93% of 2019 even with the lower rate of Chinese. Interesting to see those high occupancy rates at hotels commanding 5k+ baht per night, seems like wealthier tourists are in fact visiting Pattaya and Thailand in their numbers contrary to what some on here believe.

What I'll never understand about his hyperbole such as this, is how that principle relates to successful American companies like Apple whose manufacturing base is China. Is he also going to impose a 100% tariff on an Apple product assembled in China, products so loved by the American voter. Where is the consistency ?

I've got no skin in the game, as an outsider it's just disappointing in a country as large as America for the last couple of elections they cannot find more able candidates to elect than a couple of guys who are clearly not up to the job for various reasons. While I'm not ageist I do think there should be an age limit on Prime Ministers/Presidents, I think 70 should be tops.

You need to get some mental help. Every news story you make a comment about Pattaya police, you're clearly unhinged even if you don't realise it. In the UK and any other country it's impossible to cover every kilometre of the motorway and road system, why on earth you think it should be any different in Thailand points to some underlying mental problem you have. Get some help.

TAT's forecast at the start of the year was 35 million - 27 million non-Chinese and 8 million Chinese. Kasikorn's 36 million backs up the original TAT number and seems realistic given the continuing improvement of monthly numbers.

Bummer that's a really annoying typo. All I would say is, and this may not apply to you, I use my driving licence as the easiest form of address I.D. proof accepted by Jomtien immigration when I do my annual retirement extension, so obviously having the correct address on it is essential. If your licences are 5 year validity if it was me I would go back and get them to reissue.

Groundhog thread.

Asean Now tourism and aviation experts got this one so wrong. When the country reopened the consensus on here was that tourism to Thailand, especially long-haul European tourism, wouldn't recover due to the higher cost of air travel. However what has clearly become apparent is that Thailand's customers are still prepared to pay the higher airfares to come here, rather than save the money and holiday close to home. What a surprise.

You've openly admitted yourself on here with some degree of self-satisfaction to indulging in corrupt practices to claim annual pension increases from the UK which you were not entitled to. I thought you'd be right at home with the system here, until of course corruption doesn't work in your favour. Very hypocritical.

They are. The 8 million projected/estimated for 2024 equates to 21,858 per day, in February the daily rate had risen to 21,526 according to the numbers reported by the Minister of Tourism the other day. The numbers keep improving month on month.

Having to apply for a UK passport when you're stone cold sober is enough of an ordeal, this chap's problems have only just started. Well done to the OP and the Starbucks staff for assisting the guy in a difficult situation.

My own take is when you are in that price point is although you may find a lovely value unit it's more about who is living around you and how short term they stay. I've never felt the need to move in 20 years here because I live in a place where owner occupiers are in the majority, the smallent units are just shy of 70 sqm and minimum rental prices are 20k upwards. I see a lot of comments on here from renters where the ease of moving is important, to me that tells its own story and it's nothing to do with how nice their own unit is.

The Minister for Tourism you refer to is a she not a he, just thought I'd mention it.

Good start to the year for them, 12% ahead of the rate required to meet their 35 million target in 2024.

36th in the list of countries visiting Thailand in 2023, I wonder how many of the 85,897 actually stayed longer than 30 days requiring a paid for visa.

I don't think I've been in a bar on Beach Road in recent years when any of them have come in to relax. I get the impression it's a minibus in for shopping day out and a McDonalds, then minibus home and back in bed before dark. Do they have a weight limit for entry in the US military, maybe the ones I see are kitchen staff, cleaners etc.

My daily routine when I'm out walking is to stop for a rest and buy a 25 baht drink at 7-11 so I lower the average. It's the " convenience " in convenience store for me, I would never dream of making a 7-11 specific journey, it's not required, they are just there - everywhere.

Don't know what all the fuss is about, Russian tourist numbers were only marginally higher last month than they were in January 2023. They normally fall by half in April and half again in May, it's high season so what.