wensiensheng

I don’t think there is currently any drop in Russians in Phuket. They aren’t particularly put off by the health and safety issues which frighten away Chinese. certainly where I live, Russians abound…..but few other nationalities. TAT must be really worried, or they should be.

Is it time to bring out the “stating the bleedin obvious” award again?

Seems like the exceptions are…..most places

Can’t see this has anything to do with zero dollar tours. Some Chinese seem to have set up a company to do a/c work and employed people who didn’t have work permits. Where does zero dollar come in?

So the police were called out to deal with a late night noise complaint. Wow, exhilarating stuff. Still they made it sound like a big deal.

“Largest in years “? Isn’t it the only tsunami drill in years? I’ve lived in Phuket the last 18 years, close enough to the sea to be in a tsunami zone, and I’ve never known there be a drill. A few years back they did suddenly paint signs on the road near the beach, similar to but not exactly the same, as the one shown in the photo, but those have all worn away now. Evidently such a good idea that no one bothered to renew them.

Five Thai guys and a Ghanan dupe arrested. But it’s only the dupe that gets pictured?

Looks like they are changing the wheel, not just a tyre. i bet they were dobbed in by one of the shopkeepers along the road. Thais love to inform on foreigners to the police. But they aren’t racist, they also love informing on fellow Thais

“Led by Pol. Lt. Col. Torlap Tinamat, Superintendent of Tourist Police Sub-Division 4, Division 2, and supported by officers from Pattaya Tourist Police, Pattaya Police Station, Chonburi Immigration Bureau, the Chonburi Office of Social Development and Human Security, and Pattaya City officials” All that firepower to get 13 prozzies standing out in plain sight, in one place. They must have worked their nuts off all night long.

Elections, no. Revered Buddha day, country wide? Just guessing

Soi Bangla is quite a short street really. What’s so hard about policing it? It’s a known trouble spot, surely a consistent large police presence plus bars being instructed to not serve overly intoxicated people, would contain things. of course, allowing late hour opening has made things worse. It extends the amount of time that requires policing and gives extra time for drunks to get even more drunk.

If the rounds contained no explosives, then they were simply scrap metal moulded into the shape of a munition. Much like a kids toy gun is not a “gun”. One crucial point missing from the article is whether the items actually contained explosive material.

In some respects the article is misleading in that it focuses on the nationality of the foreigner involved. In actual fact, her nationality is irrelevant, being polite is being polite. And in Thailand that often means taking off your shoes. so the majority of your comments are also irrelevant. Be she English, American or any other nationality, she should have done as requested, or gone somewhere else.

I beg to differ. In high season I can’t go on Nai Harn beach because it’s so crowded, morning, noon and night. Low season has big waves and trash. Da Nang beach was much nicer when I visited a couple of months ago. BUT, I’m sure there are crappy beaches in Vietnam, Nha Trang was too busy when I visited 8 years ago. And I’m sure there are still un crowded beaches in Thailand, Trang down south, maybe Khao Lak?

I was in Da Nang a couple of months ago. The lasck of google bars, hostesses and dodgy massage places was genuinely refreshing

I just flew back from Paris. The checkin desk at CDG definitely wanted my TDAC before checking me in. I had it ready, but I reckon they would have asked me to complete it there and then, if I hadn’t already done so. Which would not have been a big deal. It’s ridiculously easy to complete. FWIW, they also wanted to see it at Suvarnabhumi immigration, queried why I hadn’t filled in a return date (I live here) but accepted my explanation that I haven’t decided yet. Although that led to follow up questions about what I would be doing while in Thailand. Obviously concerned that I would not be working. Fortunately I look my 67 years of age, so it wasn’t a big deal when I said I’m retired. All in all, I didn’t see any issues with tdac

Which aspects in particular? Genuinely interested in your opinion

The article is detached from reality in terms of the description of Bangla road, Phuket and Thai tourism in general. Until Thai’s face up to just what their more infamous “vibrant night spots” actually are in reality, they will continue to suffer damage to their reputation, as they see it. For people willing to view such places without rose tinted glasses, or total detachment from reality, such incidents are to be expected just as often as they occur in reality.

I’m sure the French guy will get the book thrown at him. The Thai tour company….not so much

Absolute madness. Are they living in an alternate reality?

I think you are posting on the wrong day. Tomorrow is when the stories are all about crimes committed BY tourists, today is for stories about crimes committed ON tourists. And so it will go on. One day it’s all about protecting the precious tourists, the next it’s about bashing tourists. But……nothing ever changes

Looks like an opening scene from Lost

Singapore is not a facist state. Quite the opposite in fact. It is a multi cultural state and democratic elections are taking place right now.

I think this is a separate thing. I believe that the face recognition thing was so that you could do transfer of over 50k by mobile app. This is a security measure to do with money laundering…I think. And if your phone and bank accounts are in the same name, there is no need to do anything. They match already. Might be wrong so don’t crucify me.

This isn’t new. It’s been ongoing for at least the last year. In fact, I recall it from many years back when phones were being used to detonate bombs in Yala. But don’t let that get in the way of a sensationalized headline and first paragraph.