Sydebolle

1.5 million out of 40 million; still some 38.5 million others to work on. Get your act together and stop always blaming anything but your own country and leadership for the dead tourism industry. It took you a generation of dual pricing, dirty farang and other explicit welcome statements, "lax" law enforcement to say the least and a bureaucratic mess second to none with your immigration, visa, TM 30, 90 days and whatever else you clowns came up with to absolutely ensure, that longer-staying guests disappeared for good. All the others had two years time to visit other places like Mexico, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Senegal - just to name a few - which were open to vaccinated travellers at better, friendlier, funnier and cheaper deals than the promised land of Siam. You had a chance after 1987 with "Amazing Thailand" and, true to the tag line, yes, Thailand is amazing indeed in how to professionally kill the goose which laid nothing but golden eggs. Serves you right!

Wondering where these boys all where in May 2014? Just asking for a friend though .........

Well, this means that I shall stop my promising career in ice carving then ...... how sad ???? Are these people for real or do I have to get either popcorn or my funny hat and the red nose?

Just make sure that Somchai does not sneak into one of those palaces again to help himself with a hundred kilogrammes of clunker which does not belong to him. Last time it happened, the beduins were understandably cross. We shall never find out, how naughty Somchai boarded the plane back home with all that excess luggage .......... Next time he might be charged excess luggage and the Thai customs might have a word upon import as well, since they have these fancy new scanners now ????

Another smoke screen - the Monday's usual! Interesting is, that she is being referred to as "exiled former prime minister" whereas I thought, that she was an "elected" politician who got "couped" out of office by the present place holders in funny dresses and squeaky shoes .... But quite obviously I misunderstood this also ????

Seeing is believing; Saudis were never banned for travelling to Thailand and had plenty of timetable options by other, indirect, airlines. But, as the crystal ball in Bangkok's government house promises - apparently - there will be a spike of another one million tourists from the beduin source of people who can be ripped off with overpriced, double priced services by a country which has an utter hatred against anything brownish like South Asians, Africans and ........ Middle Easterners. As the "dirty farang" segment cannot be compensated that easily, the Tourism Authority of Thailand might want to work on attitude classes for the semi-divine Khon Thai - aviation alone does not help!

A world's First - definitely. Not flying anywhere and booking USD 1.6 billion (1,600,000,000) is worth an entry into the Guiness book of records. And who exactly do these morons try to fool this time, honestly? Whatever, they ordered three brand new B777, despite having airworthy airplanes in countless airports all over Thailand parked, be it Utapao, Don Meuaioung and, of course Chatichai Choonavan's intercontinental corruption airport in Nong Ngu How; better known today as Swampy!

Who, in Thailand, needs political cabaret if you have politicians with statements such as "When Thailand's current PM assumed power the best part of eight years ago he promised to end corruption in Thailand in 20 years."? It can be eradicated overnight, if there is a will. Put a proper reporting into place, inform the officers that corruption leads to an automatic jail sentence of six months and dishonorable discharge, all the fringe benefits cut immediately - and you're sorted. Reporting corruption should be rewarded with a juicy premium and the boys in brown would start doing, what they are paid for and what they swore when assuming duty. Wishful thinking, Uncle Too will be leaving office anytime soon with yet another unfinished empty promise like all his predecessors before .......

Well, the pricing is one thing and Bangkok, coming from North and leaving South East, clocks 275 Baht back in the day. Of course it is too expensive which accounts for all those who prefer the jams on the free road grid compared to the payable highway/tollway network. But you could do away with all those barriers, counters, readers, M-Pass, Easy Pass and God-only-knows-what-kind-of-other gizmos and hence increase the profitability -OR- reduce the toll fees. The Swiss system generated 30 years ago a surplus of 200 million Swiss Francs per year, at a very competitive yearly rate. But it has to do with discipline and ferocious fines, if they catch you on a tollway WITHOUT the sticker - you're toasted nicely!

Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn as well as the bunch of clowns on the governmental-merry-go-round might be interested to learn, that vacation plans for Summer 2022 are almost finalized, booked and concluded. So, unless someone pulls the coronaphobia-plug once and for good, Thailand will see yet another disastrously empty "high" season, which will not only bite into the country's GDP but will fan the glooming charcoal of social uproar. The writing, gentlemen, is on the wall in big capital letters ... if you ask me ????

Maybe she gotten suicided? Naahhh ...... they would have found the body so she disappeared into thin air most likely. On a more sombre note just hoping that she is fine!

Been there, done that. Not knowing your nationality I can only highly recommend "Express Translation Services", see: http://www.expresstranslationservice.co.th I had papers issued/stamped by my Embassy, had to get them translated into Thai (officially recognized) and subsequently the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs had to rubber-stamp the entire paperwork as well. The translation costs were nominal and along the general rates charged these days (I compared them with two, three other - officially recognized - translation services). In addition, Express Translation Services presented the papers to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and sent the entire stamped, over- and cross-stamped pile of papers by EMS; the presentation and EMS-mailing was done for 200 Baht; no queueing, no frustration, no adrenaline-rising Thainess. Just in case ......

Saksayam Chidchob, another ignorant oligarch representative of the dinosaur elite. He might want to study the Swiss system, in place for more than 40 years. The present fee is a flat CHF 40 (1,400 Baht) and covers all tollways anywhere in Switzerland for a full year. Sold through convenience stores, post offices or at the point of entry into Switzerland (immigration/customs), it is a small sticker (called "vignette") to be affixed on the wind screen. If you try to remove it, it is torn apart to avoid mischief use of the sticker. The system is explained here and would be very, very simple to apply with immediate effect. Needless to say, that the Swiss surplus earnings on the tollway stickers is used to subsidize the Swiss National Railways. But yes, it takes a will and some foresight .......... https://www.ch.ch/en/travel-and-emigrate/holidays-in-switzerland/motorway-vignette/

Well, if you managed to get through the maze of obtaining a PR, then you're aware of not missing a deadline - preventive maintenance of bureaucracy issues ????

Quite simple, the medical waste - controlled incineration and professional disposal - has been entrusted to the Ministry of Waste and Garbage, headed by at least two top Ministers also serving as Deputy Prime Ministers! Did you, honestly, expect anything else - it explains finally the acquisition of the submarines by Uncle Too and the watch loving snoozer geezer!

The really, really scary bit is only, that sunny boy Anutin is completely out of control!

Keep up the good work, in other words, only 39,673,000 to go until the end of 2022! Give the hard working officials in TAT, TBT, TCT, TDT, TET and God-only-knows-what-other-agency solid gold medals and the ministers the same thing made of platinum!

It all boils down to what do you want/need. The five-yearly-reporting to the police is rubber-stamping, the endorsement/re-entry (valid for one year from issue date) again rubber-stamping. I did not travel anywhere over the last 30 months = nothing to do with stamping or paying fees. But it remains as individual as the person concerned; I consider many advantages with only one citizenship as far as my offshore banking, insurances and hopefully-never-to-be-used welfare is concerned.

I suggest a 5,000 Baht fee; the few-and-far-between tourists will pay anything as all other tourists meanwhile have found out, that elsewhere there is also cheap(er), friendly(der) and (more) welcoming alternatives to Prathet Thai! What a farçe, a "landing fee"; what's next?

Reskill, did I read reskill? If you ask me then you have to start teaching basic skills first - the most average Thai Joe knows absolutely nothing of doing a simple job clean, tidy, complete, in time and lasting. Then you teach them basics in loyality and same rights for all; you do not always attend to the sick buffalo in Nakorn Nowhere, you do not have at least three granddads passing away on a yearly basis and if you change jobs, then you inform your employer at the same framework like if your employer lays you off. Once all this is understood and adhered to, then you can go into either reskill or further advance their vocational skills ....... however it will not happen during my lifetime!

Noted. Most countries allow dual, triple etc. nationalities. With certain European countries though you can impair your birthright citizenship. Say, i.e., you are a naturalized Thai born in Germany with a German citizenship. After 30 years in Thailand with Thai spouse and dual nationality children you fall sick and need governmental support. The Germans will screen your welfare application and ultimately reject it on the base that you're also Thai, living in Thailand and spent a substantial part as well as the recent past of 30 years in Thailand - hence the Thai citizenship prevails. Question is, which country would do more for its citizen? In case of an evacuation = same story. The Swiss flew out all their nationals from Japan after the Fukushima incident without any fuss free of charge; they also provided airlifts out of Phuket back in 2004 after the Tsunami. As you have to decide, as what nationality you are in a country, it can make a difference. A Thai citizenship has little impact on taxation, a permanent PR gets work permits automatically and, as said, I still believe that apart from voting and land ownership there is no specific advantage. What I did not mention is, that if you want to own a business in the "protected" business cluster (known as Alien Business Law), then you must be Thai to be active in tourism, architecture and forwarding. This is for those who want to OWN such businesses, being employed in these businesses is possible for alien - with the necessary work permit!

As I read years and years ago in a Pattaya newspaper "he felt sick, when onto the balcony and then followed the content of his vomitting stomach" - as easy as that ......... I assume, at least as per that newspaper!

“He should file a complaint, there is a channel for this,” Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-ocha said at government house on Monday when asked about former Police Major General, Paveen Pongsirin." Can Uncle Too kindly spill the beans and let the rest of his +/- 70 million underlings know, what kind of channels there are if one is not too happy about a government official's or officer's actions?

Anywhere else it would be called "blowing one's own trumpet" but here it is "ridding the promised land of the dirty farang and alien".

You may (repeat MAY) apply for a permanent residency certificate after three continuous years in Thailand based on work and taxes paid, supporting Thai family members (i.e. your children with a Thai spouse) or by investment (not clear how much that reads). Once granted (which can take anything between 6 - 18 months) you will have a further five years of PR status before you can apply for Thai citizenship. There you undergo a proper testing on your Thai language skills, singing the Thai national anthem, history, plenty of references and a reason, why you should become Thai. I opted for the residence 34 years ago; never went for a Thai passport as the only difference is voting and land ownership. Having a second citizenship would impair my birthright citizenship in some part - hence I (as well as dozens of others I know) never went for a Thai passport. You pay taxes, irrespective of nationality, provided you are honest and do not cook the books.