Ricardo

This might help the Dems to return, in a Suthep-free version, in much the same way that PTP might become Shin-free, but my guess is that neither will happen.

I rarely go that far South, but had to collect my son & a friend from the Kad-Farang Outlet-Mall (they're fashion-victims) last week, and had a very good meal at the Thin-Thin Pizza shop, about 20m from Rimping-supermarket, across from Pizza Hut.

Three pizzas (Hawaian & Salami & Tuna), soft-drinks & two plates of fries came to about B670 in-total.

They were doing 3-for-2 on their cheapest pizzas, prices from B110 upwards, the sauce was herby & garlicky & tasty and we'll certainly make a point of returning, if I ever get that far again which, knowing the boys, I might well !

Imust admit that my own experience of the Arizona-Joe site, a year or two back, was not encouraging.

Traffic was very-heavy on Sunday, Monday mid-morning seemed to be running more-easily, but it can change again when the poo-yai convoy is coming !

I recall reading about a similar business in India, economy-flight with full sound-effects, in an old decommissioned fuselage, but charging a premium-price & making it First-Class, that's a good twist on the theme !

It will be interesting to see how the government now reacts, to people who are only calling for something to happen, which the PM has already promised the World ?

Perhaps it may encourage him to deliver on what he has promised.

One can only hope so.

56 minutes ago, wgdanson said:

U Tapao?

Erm  ...  not much help, when the extension-terminal is at Swampy ?

No recent problem with at-gate checking on domestic-flights, they're keen to get the plane loaded and away at that point, I've been using online-check-in & carry-on only (a daypack & a laptop-bag) for recent flights, thus bypassing the check-in desks.

If you're OK on weight, and only marginally over on size, I'd have thought you should be OK, even on an international-flight.

Nok-Air were however checking bags after  the boarding-gate at Chiang Mai 10-days ago,I was inbound on a Bangkok Airways flight, and they were partly-blocking the arrivals-corridor, for other flights ! 

Living with/on borrowed-time ?

3 hours ago, rooster59 said:

The project will include a new runway, air-cargo facilities, an aviation training centre, and an aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul centre, with combined land use of up to 6,500 rai (1040 hectares).

 

It will take about five years for construction to be completed.

The new third-runway at Swampy is much-more urgently needed, IMO.

They're currently handling approximately 60- million people, with a supposed-capacity of 45-million, and construction of the new extension-terminal has been underway for over a year.  Where will those planes land/take-off ?

Even if the forecast numbers at Utapao do materialise, the current runway can cope for at-least another decade, as business ramps-up (or doesn't).  Then again, one airport is owned by the military, the other isn't, lets hope that isn't relevant.

22 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

Name me a UK politician of the two main parties who does care about expats in Thailand.

Quite agree, we really need a democratic-system which includes MPs, who are elected-by & represent overseas British-citizens  ...  never will happen of course, the UK is too democratic for advanced thinking like that.

16 hours ago, yardrunner said:

perhaps the question should also be asked, why do European women get fake tans so that they look brown

I've long believed that it's because, only richer people can afford long winter-sun holidays to exotic-places like the Carribean/Thailand, so the opposite of the apparent Asian logic, that darker-skin means you work long-hours in the agricultural-industry ?

The small northern-extension of the exisiting car-park,completed a few months ago, appears to have made little difference to the existing problems parking at CNX.

There certainly does seem to be an urgent need for seperate staff-parking, and a longer-term off-site car-park with connecting shuttles, to free-up existing space for genuine short-termers dropping-off/picking-up passengers.  And the completion of a fully-public road through the military land, would also help with access ?

More parking was included in the longer-term development-plans which I saw a year-or-two back, but I haven't heard anything about short-term timings, has anybody else ?

http://www.chiangmaicitylife.com/news/airport-expansion-planned-up-to-34-flights-per-hour-to-support-up-to-20-million-per-year/

Following which, prehaps the NLA might consider celebrating, by holding a drinks-party in a brewing-establishment ?

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The loan was not a secret, as he had reported it to the National Anti-Corruption Commission three years ago, he said.

So it was already known three years ago  ...  I wonder what other loans the NACC has been told about, to members of the current government, for example ?  

Send the hordes(?) of miscreant British pensioners home, to serve their time in the UK and at the British taxpayers' expense, at least they would then get the inflation-increases on their old-age allowances, which are denied so long as they remain living legally over here ! 

On 13/02/2018 at 12:59 PM, robertthesculptor said:

Wrong move, Nazi leadership don't go there

I think it's perhaps a little bit extreme, to describe the USA as having 'Nazi leadership', and I'd certainly still travel there if I needed to.

2 hours ago, Dave67 said:

If and it's a big if, there is joining HSR (Which I believe is now freight only) between Thailand and China Laos will be just bridge between the 2.It would pointless having an HSR in Laos without Thailand having one as well.

Agreed, and that's why the Chinese are perhaps growing more concerned, as construction proceeds on the Lao-section of the route, while Thailand is slow to start the first section (of three) of the onward-connection.

On the other hand, I'm sure they have selected their security with care, to cover the loans to the Lao government, which they might now be more-likely to take over.

I wonder what they wanted the Thais to put up, when they were negotiating, Laem Chabang or Sattahip ports would no doubt be attractive acquisitions ?

Compared to that, the Thai high-speed passenger-only network is only a sideshow, as PM Prayuth now seems to be admitting, in his roundabout way.

7 hours ago, mat999 said:

 Isn't an airline also flying to an airport in the center of Vietnam?

https://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/993073-first-direct-flight-from-chiang-mai-to-vietnam-starts-next-month/?tab=comments#comment-12097971

Perhaps purchase a copy of the Lonely Planet Guide to Thailand ?  Loads of information !

IME Thailand is an excellent country to travel in, accomodation (guesthouses or hostels) are cheap and widely-available, the local train-service is quaint (if you're not in any hurry !) and frequent buses run between main cities, the people are welcoming and English is widely spoken (but to a basic level !).

https://www.lonelyplanet.com/thailand

https://www.hihostels.com/destinations/th/hostels

http://www.bangkokair.com/eng/bestfares/view/to:chiang-mai-hanoi

Bangkok Airways are starting direct flights from Chiang Mai to Hanoi from 25th March.