TallGuyJohninBKK

There's also a regular, free shuttle bus service that runs from beneath the Udomsuk BTS station on the Sukhumvit Line out to the Mega Bangna mall...and back, of course. Pickup spot on the outbound side of Sukhumvit in front of the 7-11 shop there, if memory serves. Now with IHOP at Mega Bangna gone and the new IKEA store opened at Emsphere near Phrom Phong BTS, there's a whole lot fewer reasons for me to trek out to Mega Bangna lately...

Believe one of the OP linked articles says that hush puppies are NOT on the Thailand LJS menu... But Cheddar Bay Biscuits are on the Red Lobster Thailand menu... if your wallet is fat enough! 🙂

Taco Bell U.S. took it in the shorts lately courtesy of my preferred Mexican fast food alternative that I'd love to come here...but almost certainly won't... Del Taco. Taco Bell rival takes top spot for best fast food chain in US – and fans swear the number two choice is ‘a lie’ AMERICANS have voted on the top 10 best fast food chains, and a surprising taco spot was ranked number one. Jul 22 2024 The first place most people think of when you suggest getting drive-thru tacos is Taco Bell. It appears that USA Today readers would disagree after they voted Del Taco as the number one fast-food restaurant in the country. The outlet released a list of the top 10 best fast food chains in the country as voted on by readers. The popular Mexican restaurant only has 594 locations, mainly on the West Coast. (more) https://www.the-sun.com/money/11991448/del-taco-voted-best-fast-food-customers-disagree/

Yep, another goner to add to the western eateries list for Thailand: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/general/2276071/aw-restaurant-chain-to-close It predated my arrival in Thailand by a few years, but I think (have been told that) the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis and its long aftermath was a fatal blow to a lot of western eatery operations in Thailand in the ensuing years.... And then things began to recover finally in latter years, only to have COVID come along and deal another heavy blow to businesses that relied a lot on tourist / expat foreigners.

I think the RL chain has been having its financial problems in the U.S.... a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing and location closures...and an impending sale coming out of bankruptcy. Red Lobster hits a Chapter 11 bankruptcy bump Jul 29, 2024 The company, in a recent court filing, showed that 228 total restaurants cannot make money with their current lease situations. With the 99 Red Lobsters already closed, that suggests that the company could shutter an additional 135 restaurants if landlords object to giving up their past rent claims. ... Red Lobster, as it learns which locations will close, does have a new buyer. The company has accepted a stalking horse bid from Fortress Credit Corp. No other bidder emerged for the company, and the bankruptcy court is expected to approve the deal. https://www.thestreet.com/restaurants/restaurant-chain-closing-more-locations-in-chapter-11-bankruptcy Here, the wife and I tried the QSNCC RL branch soon after it opened, and had a nice, pleasant (albeit expensive) dinner there. The service was really good by Thai standards, friendly, English-speaking and just attentive enough but not overbearing/annoying, and both the steak and the lobster entrees we had were good and up to U.S. standards. But it's not the kind of place that we, or I suspect most people, would go to on a regular/recurring basis... But who knows... The dinner bill for the wife and I: At least, LJS is a more economical seafood option.... and hopefully, keeps to their promise that they're NOT using crap, medicated, diseased farmed seafood from Thailand, Vietnam, China, etc.

It will be interesting to see how this pans out. Thailand's recent history seems to be littered with attempted western / U.S. restaurants and chains that opened and ultimately failed here... IHOP was one of those, which opened amid great fanfare at Siam Paragon and later Mega Bangna, and fell victim to the COVID downturn in tourism. Carl's Jr. had multiple locations and then closed up in the past year or so. Outback Steakhouse had a location that was open for many years and likewise died and disappeared during COVID. Same with a popular upscale Mexican place named The Mexican in the Nana area. Same with the Clinton St. Baking Co. diner from New York that opened and then closed in Siam Paragon. And those are just scratching the surface off the top of my head.... I'm wondering how long the two Red Lobster outlets (at QSNCC and more recently Emsphere) will survive considering their typical entrees (lobster and steak dishes) run in the $30+ neighborhood before service charge and VAT are added on. And meanwhile, Taco Bell Thailand, which is a very pale substandard imitation of the original version from the U.S., seems to be persevering and has gained a foothold here, probably aided by the fact that the worst of COVID has passed, tourism is returning, and the Thai franchise holder has multiple imported restaurant brands in its portfolio.

Jul 24, 2024 The American fast food seafood chain has finally arrived on Bangkok’s shores. Named for the pirate in “Treasure Island” and a mainstay in American fast food with more than 500 locations, and they’re serving up de la mer classics and fried chicken. Since this might be uncharted territory for a lot of Thai fans, we recommend a safe bet like the fish combo set (B189) which is Long John Silver’s version of crispy fish and chips. Their Bucket Shrimp (B179) is coated with a special signature seasoning while the Chicken and Shrimp combo (B179) adds fried chicken alongside some waffle fries. ... The Thai owners claim their seafood comes from sustainably sourced fish from the Alaskan ocean to the coast of New Zealand. (more) https://bk.asia-city.com/restaurants/news/long-john-silvers-docks-its-first-thai-branch-megabangna https://www.longjohnsilvers.co.th/ Also reported in the BKK Post a week prior via a corporate PR news release: Long John Silver’s Now Serving Thailand Long John Silver’s, the renowned American quality seafood restaurant chain, has just arrived in Bangkok at the retail paradise that is Mega Bangna. Long John Silver’s presents a veritable tasty bounty of glorious seafood from the finest sources, all cooked to perfection in Long John Silver’s secret recipe batter. The interior of its restaurant provides a warm ambiance, fun vibes and a great spot for social media-savvy photos … so ring the captain’s bell as loud as you want, and join in with all of the launch program fun! ... Long John Silver’s distinguishes itself by offering sustainably-caught fish of exceptional quality that is wild-caught and responsibly sourced from the cleanest, most sparklingly clear waters, from the pristine oceans of Alaska to the gentle waters off the coast of New Zealand. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/pr/2831497/long-john-silvers-now-serving-thailand Wonder who the master Thailand franchise holder is for this operation? Unfortunate that the OP article above doesn't say. But the articles say the managing director of LJS Thailand is a Supasiri Leelapornpinit, who has previously worked for True Corp. and CP, and posted on LinkedIn at one point re Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen opening in Thailand. There was a Popeyes branch that opened at Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok back around 2011, and may have been a branch in Pattaya many years before that, but no indication those have any relation to the current LJS operation. https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/pr/2831497/long-john-silvers-now-serving-thailand

Thailand MoPH Weekly COVID report for July 21 - 27, 2024: For the most recent week, the MoPH update showed improvements / declines in all four publicly reported COVID indicators -- new COVID hospitalizations, deaths, currently hospitalized COVID patients in serious condition and those requiring ventilation to breathe. The latest update is another clear sign that Thailand's spring 2024 COVID surge is subsiding. --928 new COVID hospitalizations, averaging 133 per day, down 139 / -13% from 1,067 the prior week --2 new COVID deaths, down 1 / -33.3% from 3 the prior week --513 current COVID patients hospitalized in serious condition (pneumonia symptoms), down 76 / -12.9% from 589 the prior week (dark purple) --223 current COVID patients hospitalized requiring intubation/ventilation to breathe, down 42 / -15.8% from 265 the prior week (light purple) --------------------------------------- The reported 928 new COVID hospitalizations last week marked the first time this weekly tally has fallen below the 1,000 mark since mid-April, and is less than one-third of the recent weekly peak of 3,256 new hospitalizations reached in late June. Cumulative officially reported figures since the start of 2024 are COVID hospitalizations (35,581) & COVID deaths (193). Of the two official COVID deaths for the past week, the MoPH is reporting that both were female. By age, one was age 60-69, and one was age 20-49. https://ddc.moph.go.th/covid19-dashboard/?dashboard=main The weekly new COVID hospitalization totals since this year's spring surge began in mid-March have been: March 16 -- 501 March 23 -- 630 March 30 -- 728 April 6 -- 774 April 13 -- 849 April 20 -- 1,004 April 27 -- 1,672 May 4 -- 1,792 May 11 -- 1,880 May 18 - 1,882 May 25 -- 1,801 June 1 -- 1,863 June 8 -- 2,762 June 15 -- 2,881 June 22 -- 1,823 June 29 -- 3,256 July 6 -- 1,377 July 13 -- 1,004 July 20 -- 1,067 July 27 -- 928 By comparison, Thailand's key weekly COVID indicators to start 2024 were 664 new COVID hospitalizations and 4 COVID deaths for the first week of the year. For the comparable week last year in 2023, new COVID hospitalizations were 371 and there were 7 COVID deaths.

1. In terms of natural, un-enhanced physique, I'd say generally yes. 2. Overall, I'd say yes. 3. Of course, some. 4. You probably don't / won't.

You might be able to place a delivery order via the Bangkok Beef FB group run by Greg Lange, operator of the Sunrise Tacos Mexican restaurants chain. They regularly have and sell their own bags of pickled sliced jalapenos, which I buy and use all the time... I believe he also sells whole fresh jalapenos, when they have them in-stock / in-season. You can send him a message on FB Messenger to inquire re the fresh, whole jalapenos.

HH is one of my favorite getaways from BKK, and we usually make a point of staying there on weekday periods... Nice beach town environment but also plenty of good international restaurants and malls for eating and shopping and relaxing. Even did a grocery delivery order to my hotel from Villa Market HH last time there. However, the horses on the beach has always been a turn off for me... Not only do the horses do their business on the sand when nature calls, but they also at times do their droppings at the water line, and the waves wash up and disperse the poop into the beach waters... So I do much enjoy the broader beach environment in HH, and like walking the beach from the downtown area several KMs to the south. But the horse poop issue is enough to make me decide against doing any ocean swimming there, and will stick to hotel pools for that. Also the VIP bus service from Suvarnabhumi to HH for about 350b per person is a very good deal and efficient, dropping you off at their bus station next to to the HH airport. But the bus operator then also will provide free van rides into town to the Clocktower meeting point, or, direct van service to local hotels for arrivals (but not return trip departures) for 100b per person.

I use Grab every time I'm in Hua Hin (anywhere from Khao Takiab up to the airport area), and the service there has been great... Easy to book rides, no problems with cancellations that I've experienced. Good drivers and service. No complaints!

When I asked for and received my MRT seniors discount pass a year or so back, they definitely wanted to see my passport as proof of age eligibility. The MRT counter rep specifically asked to see my passport. I don't have a Thai DL and maybe it would have sufficed if I did have one, but they didn't ask for that either.

LOS.... just to clarify... 1. Was your application to the London embassy done via their E-visa route or in-person? 2. If it was done via the E-Visa route, could you have completed that process while physically being in Thailand, or was there anything that would have physically required you to be there in London? Thanks! (I've never done an E-Visa app, so not clear on the particulars....)

I realize they're coming from different agencies, but the MFA guy was very clear and specific in his interview in saying that ONLY the visa would be required for DTV re-entries -- no other or additional documentation.

I'm here for the long haul, married to a Thai, and a decade-plus of retirement extensions under my belt. I would NOT be interested to potentially lose my grandfathered status under retirement extension rules for a 5-year visa where I don't clearly know what my status and options would be at the end of the initial 5 years. And of course IF the DTV is in fact a one-and-done visa (which we don't actually know at this point), I'd have no interest in trading my annual retirement extensions for that. Because of life changes and the aftermath of COVID, I'm not traveling internationally as much as I did in the past. So the advantage of not having to leave the country under retirement extensions vs. having to leave at least once a year under the DTV is a consideration. But then again, my demographic is clearly not the target group for the DTV visa, even though I probably could qualify if I wanted to try.

That's an interesting nuance... Do we know the underlying source for the claim that the 5-year DTV might be a one and done proposition? That is/was a subject (renewals of the 5-year DTV visa itself) that didn't get broached at all in the MFA guy's comments and interview.

The MFA guy interviewed above said there would be NO documentation requirements for DTV holders when re-entering Thailand ... just present the visa only. No requalification process. However, just the opposite if the same DTV holder instead wants to do the single in-country 180-day extension allowed at Thai Immigration per each new arrival in country. At Immigration for that extension, the MFA guy indicated proof of continuing eligibility WOULD be required.

Sheryl, in the YT interview posted above of the deputy director general of the MFA, he made it pretty clear that there was NO limit on the number or frequency of re-entries allowed under the DTV... and no mention of any kinds of minimum times outside the country being required. It is a 5-year visa with unlimited re-entry permissions to stay of up to 180-days each... and with each re-entry, the ability to do one in-country extension at Immigration for another 180 days... So to me, at least, it's pretty clear that they envision DTV holders to be able to remain in the country long-term for up to 5 years.... provided they do the requisite 180-day departures and/or make use of the in-country extensions. Admittedly, the source is from MFA, not Thai Immigration. But at this point, I'm not seeing any sign or evidence that they're planning to restrict the DTV comings and goings the same ways they have with visa exempt or other methods.

That's an interesting take on their idea of what will qualify... Would you mind saying, what country's embassy took that stance?

In a worst case scenario, no, I don't think there's any issue about having the original visa revoked, because the visa itself doesn't seem to have any subsequent checks AFTER the original approval. But it MIGHT result in Immigration denying a subsequent in-country extension. In which case, the DTV holder I think would still be able to leave the country and return, thus gaining another 180-day permission to stay under the terms of the visa. The way the MFA guy explained it in the above cited YT video, the DTV holder is entitled to an unlimited number of exits and re-entries under the DTV during the 5-year-life of the visa, with each new entry gaining a new 180-day permission to stay.

If you're willing to leave and re-enter Thailand every 180 days over the life of the 5-year DTV and/or make use of the in-country 180-day extension allowed at Thai Immigration (one per each new entry into the country). And in the latter case, potentially have to re-prove your eligibility for the extension each and every time.

About the issue of a DTV holder wanting to do subsequent 180-day in-country extensions at Thai Immigration (one per each new entry to Thailand allowed under the 5-year visa), one thing that the MFA official indicated in the video was that Thai Immigration, in addition to asking for the standard 1,900 baht extension fee each time, would also want to see documentation of eligibility for the visa extension itself each time. Even in years 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 of the original visa. Unfortunately, the MFA official didn't go into any further detail about that issue... But for example, if someone gets a DTV visa in 2024 based on attending a Thai cooking class or for some medical procedure, it raises the question of whether Immigration in years 2-5 is going to be satisfied with the original DTV documentation OR whether they're then going to want to see some ongoing, then-still-current proof of eligibility. That question wasn't addressed. But, if I were a guessing / betting man, assuming the MFA official was correct about how Immigration will handle DTV visa in-country extensions, my guess would be that in years 2-5 of the DTV visa, that they're going to want to see some then still-current proof of eligibility -- not just repeating proof of some activity done back in 2024 and then not continued into the ensuing years. Presumably, for in-country DTV extensions, that also would include having to each time prove the DTV holder still has the required 500K baht on deposit in a bank account somewhere (in or out of Thailand).

In all my years in Thailand, I've always had a general policy -- if a sit-down restaurant has no 10% service charge, and the service is decent or better, I'll add a 10% or better tip depending on the level of service. But if there IS a 10% service charge automatically added to everything, then I generally won't tip more for routine service, but might if the service is still beyond the normal. And that based on the assumption that the service staff were in fact getting their share of the 10% service charge as a type of tip. But now the other night, I was watching a YT video where some Thai nationals who work in the restaurant business were talking about the 10% service charge issue, and they were claiming that at least in their experience, the full 10% does NOT necessarily go to the service staff. And instead, they claimed, some business owners here take some or all of the service charge proceeds to support / cover their own business operating expenses such as facility improvements, equipment, who knows what, etc etc... So that made me start wondering, and want to ask the question here of those in or familiar with the restaurant-bar business here in Thailand -- in your experience, who actually gets the proceeds of the 10% service charge if one is levied? And to what extent, in your experience, are bar and restaurant owners here in fact skimming the service charge proceeds that I'd assume most customers believe, rightly or wrongly, are going to the service staff to support / augment their wages? Any insights, much appreciated!

Strange thing I've noticed lately -- Villa Market has been advertising supposedly UK sourced Iceland-brand frozen Atlantic cod fillets... Villa lists the fish as "Cod (Gadus Morhua)". But when I checked, the Iceland-brand UK website shows that product being sourced from CHINA! How's China the source of UK-sold "Atlantic cod fillets"? PS - I tried a package of them from Villa a month or so back, and found them tasteless and kind of soggy. From the Villa website: https://shop.villamarket.com/product/215197 From the Iceland UK corporate website: https://www.iceland.co.uk/p/iceland-atlantic-cod-fillets-320g/91814.html#q=cod fillets&start=1