Ricardo

50 minutes ago, AlQaholic said:

If they just use the good old Thai diesel trains there will be significant cost savings.....Which then can be used to purchase a few submarines, surveillance balloons or even a rocket to send the first Thai astronaut into orbit!

You're way behind, on that last suggestion  ...

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Phirada-poised-to-become-first-Thai-to-go-into-out-30226264.html

And having decided to run it slower, will they also now admit that the Chinese-line will similarly be medium-speed, rather than keeping-up the pretence of 'high-speed' ?

As you say, the problem is with the cost of the alternatives, you need to look for a Sale on Cathay Pacific or Korean, perhaps ?

My older son flew back home from YVR on Xmas-Day, returning 9th January for about £750-return, with Cathay Pacific and a 65-minute connection in HKG both ways.

My younger son flew CNX-YVR-CNX with Korean mid/late-June, similar cost but a 12-hour connection going, and just a couple of hours on the return-trip.

I've also known slightly-cheaper deals on ANA via BKK, in a Sale.

2 hours ago, Arkady said:

  Bear in mind that income arising overseas is taxable, only if it is remitted to Thailand within 12 months of arising.  So, if anyone ever asks, you are remitting income or whatever paid into your UK account more than 12 months ago.

"within 12 months of arising"

I believe that you meant to say  "in the same calendar year as it arose" ?

The Thai tax-authorities (unlike HMRC) are said to work on a calendar-year basis, so in theory it might arise in December and be safely transferred the following month ?

But I am open to correction, if anyone else knows better ?

13 hours ago, Rc2702 said:

So if I get off a flight at 1.30pm and show the free bus operators an flight from suvarnabhumi leaving at 6 that same day. I can travel between two airports for free?

 

If so is a proof on a phone showing flight ok?

I would have thought so, but can't say from personal-experience, my trips are usually in the other direction, and I use print-outs of tickets as proof.

They write down, on their form, the flight-details (perhaps the onward-airline is being recharged a cost ?) and these would also appear on your phone, I imagine.

How many divisions do the media have ?

The current PM just has to grow used to the fact that, as the November-election (which he has promised) approaches, regular political-activity and comment will resume.  And not everybody will view him as a hero.

This is normal and expected, and part of what he has committed to delivering.

So get used to it, encourage and channel it, rather than complaining about it.

Unless he really does want, which I'm sure none of us would wish, to become a d*******.  

4 hours ago, THAILIBAN said:

 

Then fly OMAN AIR, their return fares to Europe are sometimes 17K (and that is not even a promotion then) and they offer 30KG of luggage even when paying that little

That's an excellent price, I'm supposedly on their mailing-list but have never seen much to shout about before, what time of year is that sort of price available ?  Perhaps you might post a link, next time you see it, to help-out the rest of us ?

Looking right now at the Oman Air site, I see they too have a January-Sale, booking 8th-18th January (that's tomorrow !) for flights 8th January to 31st May.  Bunging-in a couple of mid-week dates in May, it shows prices of just-under B22kfor LHR, which is indeed quite good !

http://www.omanair.com/en/best-fares-deals/special-deals/up-to-50-off-in-business-economy-class-to-all-our-international

I wonder why they didn't email me, since I've got a frequent-flyer card on them ? !

Just now, Ricardo said:

Sale on Thai Lion Air, book by 21st January, for flights between 17th January & 30th June, on both domestic & international routes.

 

Many domestic-fares from B690 one-way, several at B490 & B590.

 

http://www.lionairthai.com/en/Promotion/New-Year-New-Discoveries?utm_source=website&utm_medium=webbanneren-so&utm_campaign=NewYear_NewDis_15JAN18-TH&utm_content=NewYear_NewDis_15JAN18-TH

Sale on Thai Lion Air, book by 21st January, for flights between 17th January & 30th June, on both domestic & international routes.

Many domestic-fares from B690 one-way, a few at B490 & B590.

http://www.lionairthai.com/en/Promotion/New-Year-New-Discoveries?utm_source=website&utm_medium=webbanneren-so&utm_campaign=NewYear_NewDis_15JAN18-TH&utm_content=NewYear_NewDis_15JAN18-TH

1 hour ago, jayboy said:

In referring to Abhisit's disgraceful boycott of elections in 2013, this person taints the forum (again) with dishonesty.

I think you mean the election in February-2014, in 2013 the country was still being guided & advised by Skype from Dubai, or 'Thai democracy' as some liked to call it ?

Etihad have now launched their own January-Sale, in competition with Qatar and Emirates, it's for bookings up to 21st January with travel between 22nd January & 30th June.  The other two had been booking up to early-December.

Some sample return-fares from Bangkok are quoted as,  'from'  B23,030 to London or B19.810 to Paris or B22,280 to Amsterdam.  Etihad also operate flights to/from Phuket.

https://flights.etihad.com/en-th/flights-from-thailand?CID=ema:air:thailand_168_hours_special_offer_jan_18jan18:gueststhen:etihadairwaysfaretactical:allsegments:&gsn=29543102&utm_campaign=thailand_168_hours_special_offer_jan_18jan18&utm_medium=email&utm_source=gueststhen&utm_content=etihadairwaysfaretactical&&CID=ema:&utm_campaign=&utm_source=&utm_content=&utm_medium=email

On 11/01/2018 at 3:09 PM, webfact said:

The new top tourism official had some straight talk for anyone unhappy about airport food prices: Don’t eat at the airport.

It occurs to me to wonder, might the Tourism Minister ever say, "If you find Thailand too expensive these days, then just don't come here" ?

1 hour ago, yellowboat said:

Wrong.  The majority of Thai voted for the Shinawartes, not to be bullied oafs in green uniforms. 

Agree about the military, but it's a long time (2005) since a majority of people voting (let alone all Thais) voted for the Shinawatras, at the last election (2011) it was 48.41% for Yingluck & PTP, which was the largest single party.

Other minor parties then joined a post-election coalition to enable PTP to form the government.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai_general_election,_2011

It would be interesting to know, but we never will unfortunately, what PTP & Yingluck would have got in 2014, following the protests over the widespread-amnesty & the rice-scheme fiasco, also the failed school-laptop scheme & other broken promises.

Personally I think she would have had a reduced share of the vote, but might still have managed another coalition, after all the minor parties don't care who they support, just so long as they get some of the goodies. Indeed, before the 2011 election Bhumjaithai & Chartthaipattana had pledged to support whichever party won, which isn't IMO quite the same as their supporters having voted for the Shins, although that's what they got.

Interesting article and thread.

I think the key factor will be who Thaksin picks as leader, going into the election, and will it be another family-member or another loyal-outsider like Samak, or someone completely different ?  Negotiations are clearly now underway, hence the jockeying for position & declarations of loyalty, described in the OP.

Also whether he will continue to fund the party, given that the military (and their backers, whoever they really are) are clearly determined not to permit his return, he may be getting tired of it all.

I don't have any answers, but look forward to watching what goes on, this year.  And hope that it stays peaceful.

My wife bought a 36-sq-m bargain-condo for B600k just outside the Super-Highway near Makro, she did a good rennovation (she has an eye for design/colour-schemes), and has been unable to sell it for three years, because viewers (all Thai) are put off by the poor-condition of the lifts (under-lit & dirty) & public-areas (poorly-decorated & cleaned), the building's managers could care less about these things.

So look at the management & public-areas, tryto view them as potential renters would do, would you yourself want to live there ?  Are the neighbours noisy, does the place smell, is it cleaned/maintained/decorated properly or not ?

8 hours ago, Ron2 said:

Why they have to be witness.....like i wrote chanode already done. Like i know, neighbors have to be witness only if chanode not yet done. 

As others have already said, it's a good idea to invite the neighbours to be there when the Land-Officer re-measures/marks the boundaries, firstly because it's the polite thing for a new-arrival in the area to do, and secondly because the boundary is also for their own land, although you're paying for the visit.

This can forestall any possibly future dispute.

For example my wife wanted to sell a few rai that she owns, nice plot by a lake-side with mountain-views (offers invited !  PM-me !) near Trang, and had found a buyer.  Then one of the neighbours took exception, because they realised that they'd lose the access they'd been using informally, onto their own neighbouring plot.  So they raised a complaint, and blocked the sale at the local Land-Office and, when they lost that they then complained that a bribe had been paid to the Land-Office, to obtain my wife's chanot.  The investigation has thrown a two-year spanner in the works, and of course the agreed-sale fell through.  Boundary disputes like this are worth avoiding, if possible !

Perhaps he is planning to open a watch-shop, once he retires from public 'service', maybe becoming an entrepreneur somewhere like the UK even, following another ex-politicians' recent-example ?

Let's hope he gets the opportunity to do so, very soon !

"Come In Number-2, Your Time Is Up !"

19 hours ago, Jeremy50 said:

Yes, it is too expensive, and no I don't eat there. I smuggle sandwiches through to departure hidden in my underpants.

I bet that adds aroma & character, to your home-made sarnies, you must save a fortune on herbs or nam-pla !

Just got an email, THAI are running a Flash-Sale, book from today to 17th January, for flights up to 31st March (but CNY blackout Feb 15th-18th)  to Indonesia, Malaysia & Singapore.

Tickets in the Sale have a reduced hold-luggage allowance of 20kgs.

Denpasar BaliTHB11,180* 

JakartaTHB10,680* 

Kuala LumpurTHB5,665* 

PenangTHB5,705* 

SingaporeTHB7,020*

https://www.thaiairways.com/en_TH/offer_promotion/Special_fare/index.page?

I can't remember ever seeing a Flash-Sale on Thai International before ?

A whole series of 4s-5s in Myanmar yesterday early-evening, according to the TMD, who are always a bit slow/delayed to report shocks unfortunately  ...

http://www.earthquake.tmd.go.th/en/local.html

11 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Have to give him credit though for not running, when PT were in power and were gunning for him.

Agreed, he didn't do a runner, when accused of murder and under pressure to go along with PTP's amnesty-for-Thaksin (and others), a far more serious crime than Yingluck stood accused of.

11 hours ago, Aj Mick said:

Maybe Abhisit knows the junta will look stupid if they do make the request.... Knows all their tough / bullying talk will result in nothing.

In which case it will reduce the chances of any military-party, in the (hopefully) upcoming-election, that serves the purposes of both the Democrat Party (which he still leads) and democracy, yet posters criticise him for it or accuse him of stupidity ?

7 hours ago, wakeupplease said:

I used to think that but I was wrong, its great and no silly little men telling me what I can write on FB or trying to kill me on the worlds deadliest roads, or con men, lawyers or bib after my money or mosquitoes after my life supply. I can own my own hose and land and not have to do border runs or reports every 90 days or hold cash I want to invest in a bank that i will never see again and I could go on. UK is brilliant this time of year and all year.

 

There is more to life than a cheap bonk, bit of really hot sun and dirty beaches with foul water around them.

 

Too much Sun mate I think

With respect, I think you may have been reading the Daily Mail too much ?

I can understand that, having moved back to the UK, you feel the need to find it to have been a positive move, but personally I enjoy living here, for all its minor imprefections & oddities, and I'm always glad to take off from LHR en-route home to sunny warm Thailand, after one of my frequent (family reasons) returns to the UK.

It's all so very gloomy & cold & depressing, as I fear Yingluck must now be finding it, ameliorated only by the recent January-Sales.

A minister who says something sensible, how refreshing ! He clearly won't last long !

Vote with your wallet, avoid airport rip-offs, Duty-Free too.

Spend your time doing a marathon, along those endless corridors, searching for your gate !  It's healthier !

Clearly I'm not a quality-tourist, then again up-to-you, as we locals/guests like to say.

3 hours ago, toofarnorth said:

Now there's a thought , Yingluck for PM , which party she would favour ? Not too sure.

As a very rich lady, the Cons might be in with a chance, depending on 'donations' to party-funds ?

Then again, plenty of populist politician-millionnaires in Labour, too. 

Perhaps start a new party, call it Brits-Love-Brits ?

But the Monster Raving Loonies might yet be in with a chance !