Bangkok Barry

That's okay. Many people speaking English have a strong accent, even those whose origins are entirely within the UK.

Double whammy. It could be worse. She could have grown up in Newcastle.

English is my first and second language too. Which version I use depends on how much anyone <deleted>** me off.

I've often wondered what any of the armed forces actually do, apart from attacking fellow Thais for daring to offer a point of view in opposition to the government. This gives a clue. Nothing useful.

More first class Thai reporting.

But they don't do that to all the people all of the time, so there's no point if it only gives then a distorted and incomplete picture. So some of the IOs, some of the time, go through the motions with no real purpose. A bit like the TM6. Given at land borders, not for flight arrivals. I recently came in by a land border, was surpised to receive the TM6, and dutifully filled in the departure part which was just handed back to me at the airport yesterday. It makes no sense, but then I wouldn't expect it to.

I used Roi Et airport at the weekend and discovered that it's undergoing a pretty bit expansion. Which surprised me, as at least two airlines dumped it quite recently and now it has only three flights a day from Air Asia. If they leave too, then what? And why spend many millions enlarging an airport that could handle the daily load from a large cabin?

I'd better shut up then. Sir.

They visited me after my first marriage extension application. They were also polite, but completely ignored me as if I was invisible. They wanted neighbours from across the road to vouch for me, at the same time producing their house certificates and ID.

Can't help there, I'm afraid. I don't live in KK and only go there for the airport. Or used to. For no reason at all as it was never, ever overcrowded on the dozens of times I used it, the airport was completely re-built during Covid and is now a huge and largely empty building with very few facilities. That might change as they put the finishing touches, but when I was there recently the only place to eat was a Black Canyon and a vending machine, whereas there used to be a half-decent restaurant. I imagine there were people who benefitted from the unnecessary re-build. Because of that and there being almost no KK- Mukdahan bus service anymore I'm using Roi Et instead. Wife can drive me there and it's actually closer to us. Only used KK airport as there was a bus I could use. You might be interested to know that, as well as there only being a skeleton bus service that you asked about, Roi Et airport now only has three flights a day whereas it used to have about 10 or 12 I think. Thais are no longer travelling, it seems. Unless they've all got rich and bought cars.

First of all, ignore the linked article as the only review/comment there is pre-covid and things have changed mightily since then. There is no bus terminal website that gives any timings, except for buses to Bangkok, maybe one or two other large centres but not Mukdahan. You might as well be trying to find the time of rockets to the moon. Very frustrating. I used to take that route many times and the bus passed my house. It used to run every hour, sometimes half-hourly, but no longer. There is now, when I travelled recently, only ONE bus a day leaving at about 1.30pm from KK. The replacement are vans that you use at your peril and they run at about the same frequency that the bus used to. A ride for the whole route would take around four hours or more and be very uncomfortable as well as risky. Both a bus and at least one van have been involved in accidents with at least one death. As someone else has written, there are no hotels near the new bus terminal, but a taxi from the city centre will only cost you 200 baht or so. At least the one bus a day is probably at a convenient time for you. Good luck and wave as you pass my house ????

I grew up in what was supposed to be a rough part of London, the East End, yet never once in my 10 or 11 years at school was there a classroom fight. Only once or twice in the playground. I remember I was disciplined when I took a box of matches to school. Now people carry knifes into the classroom. What has become of people? How did it happen? Why so much violence now?

Every person who has done any wiring work at my house has used duct tape, including a relative who claims to have gone to electrician college for three years and to have worked at large hotels in Bangkok. I've argued with my wife about it and demanded a proper job be done, but no-one here is going to tell anyone they need to do a job properly because it would cause loss of face. The only solution is DIY.

Perfectly normal at 3am in many parts of the world. It must be very strange for tourists to come to a country to relax and have fun and find they can enjoy themselves more easily at home. Of course, Thais would have no idea what happens elsewhere and how the country compares unfavourably. Not my thing as I'm an old fart. But most people are not and they enjoy partying into the small hours. Preferably without being raided by the police who ignore far more serious problems. Turning off the music is easy isn't it, and it doesn't stretch their ability as investigating real crimes does.

These bonding trips are an important part of Thai culture, doing things in groups, and you simply have to accept that. There is danger every minute you're out of the house in Thailand, maybe even in it with the electrical standards. That's just the way it is , but you are over-reacting and have to live with what might but overwhelming probably won't happen. I hope you are able to see that if your wife didn't join in then she would be considered strange and stand-offish and that certainly could affect her promotion prospects, no matter how good she might be. Image overrides ability.

So why risk legal action for accusing a hotel of polluting? Not a great idea.

Thanks. I should have checked more widely. I was in Dubai once when the Ruler's son was killed racing his car in the desert, and there was a a news blackout on that. The only sign was solemn music on the radio instead of the regular programes. So you never know. Interesting that it hasn't shown up on this site as a major breaking news item.

There was a report this morning (Thursday) that HM King's eldest daughter might have suffered a serious heart attack while running with her dogs in Kao Yai, and she was airlifted to hospital in Bangkok. Now it's vanished from Google News, in Thailand anyway. Was it fake news that's been removed, or is there a news blackout?

Me - hotel in Savannakhet - 1600 (countless positive reviews) - gas - 500 (100 minutes from home) - visa fee 5000 - food/drinks/misc 2000 for two I prefer the extension route though.

And probably costs considerably more than what the OP did.

You're on dangerous ground if your comment is reported to them. Even if you have proof, which I doubt. Remember where you are.

I believe I must have been a bad animal and so was born again as a human as punishment.

So Thailand arguing about World Cup broadcasts right to the end. Unbelievable. Well, it would be anywhere else, but......

Is there any other species on Earth that mistreats others as humans do? And for what?

Or... on the way home from their office job. Don't be so quick to judge.???????? Where did you get the idea I was judging? I was merely stating what I've seen. Poor judgement on your part ????????