petedk

locals getting discount happens everywhere even Disneyworld, St, Andrews Golf cub, even when I went to the Royal melbourne Golf club the locals got a massive discount.

Unless or until they start doing it on race alone your argument falls flat.

When I, a whitey get my citizenship, I guarantee you they will let me in for the local price.

What a stupid thing to say.

A "local" at Disneyland or a golf club means "someone who lives there".

In Thailand a "local" means someone who doesn't have white skin.

I know Thais who have lived in USA 50 years and only come here for holiday once a year, getting Thai discounts on BTS (senior ticket) and many other attractions. I have lived and worked here for 20 years am often refused these discounts.

I have been using the motorcycle taxis at the top of my soi for 10 years. They treat me well, joke with me and often pick me up for free. I in turn buy them snacks or drinks sometimes. Recently a new guy joined them. He tried to charge me double and I refused.

The day after one of the regulars tried the same. Now they all do the same and simply say "Farang have money".

Now I walk another 50 metres and take other motor cycles.

I prefer brewed or drip coffee and only drink it black.

My friend went to Chumphon and bought some local 3 in 1 coffee back. It wasn't too bad. Not sweet and sickly like most 3 in 1s.

I haven't seen that brand in Bangkok though.

Perhaps they are referring to the Police "clearance" certificate which will be needed to obtain a "B" visa and work permit ?

Could be, but he been teaching in Thailand since about 1999 and has a Police "clearance" from 2000.

I asked the Head of Department today and she said it was a new requirement, but she doesn't know the details.

Buy a G700 tactical flashlight which has a strobe and use it to blind the intruder and a baseball bat to take knee caps out and disarm, then call the police.

The police might be a long wait so make sure there is plenty of beer in the fridge.

Who is the beer for?

The intruder? The cops or yourself?

I like the idea of dogs that allow the intruder to enter the premises, but won't allow them to leave. My friend had a rottweiler that did that and it actually worked once. After that , he was told to put a big sign "Beware the dog" on the gate.

My friend has just been interviewed regarding a teaching position at a government university and he has been given the job "on the condition that he passes an immigration check."

He asked them what that was, how long it would take and so on but they couldn't answer. This was a new requirement and they have never done it before.

Does anyone know anything about this or have experience with it?

I hope she is safe and sound.

On a side note The British newspapers seem to be constantly reporting negative news from Thailand.

I wonder how many Brits are put off coming here with all that negativity.

I don't know what the problem is with carrying a passport at all times while out and about in Thailand. I've been here for 8 years and I NEVER leave the house without it. It's small. It's light. It's easy to carry in my front pocket with a zipper so it doesn't fall out.

You are in a 3rd world country. You have to think for yourself here. It doesn't matter if someone tells you that carrying a copy is OK; you know the rules change all the time. Carry your passport when out at all times and you will never have a problem. <deleted>. How difficult is that?

Thailand is not a third world country.

OK, I'll play your silly game.

Yes it is.

Do you have any proof to back your claim? Cos I see flashy malls, more flashy cars on the road these days, lots of nice restaurants and bars.....hardly "3rd-world" if you ask me.

Not to mention the price of food and drinks in these flashy malls. Thailand is no longer the cheap tourist destination it used to be.

Thailand doesn't want any foreigners living there. They only want them to go there on holiday, spend lots of money, then go back to their own countries.

Nonsense. This and similar raids in Pattaya and Bangkok are an attempt to be seen to be doing something about the potential terrorist threat. Over the top maybe, but if it led to the apprehension of an ISIL terrorist it would be considered worth it.

I think most potential terrorists would hold a low profile and not run around enjoying the nightlife until the early hours of the morning, especially in Thailand where nightly pub raids can happen at any time.

Everyone should spread the word! This should be on lonely planet, tripadvisor, pantip, blogs, facebook, etc.....

If you want to harass tourists and do this, then you should suffer and lose their $$$$$

Bad idea. You will be accused of damaging Thailand's reputation.

I carry a credit-card sized, laminated copy of the main passport page with copy of the current visa on the reverse, plus my driving licence. It will be interesting to see if they accept that, since last year's announcement that a copy was enough...

I carry a full size laminated copy of my passport. The first page with my country's declaration and the personal details/photo page. I also include a copy of my current annual visa. I think I may start copying my entry stamp page as well.

Last year the Bangkok police published a brochure detailing the rules governing how and where police are allowed to do all this crap, plus the holders rights. I think I will get a laminated copy of that as well.

Gentlemen, we are under fire.

Yes. I remember that well.

Does anyone have the link?

They kill the duck laying the golden egg by the minute. They may as well arrest people for not wearing flipflops as this is not part of Thai culture.

Even though many Thais now do so.

"Thailand on high alert due to ISIS threat".

Since this ID check is happening right after the threat was announced, do you think there may be some sort of connection , or just a coincidence??

Coincidence. Or pure stupidity.

An ISIS terrorist doesn't have to be a foreigner.

Just look at the attacks in Paris. Look at all the British nationals who join ISIS.

It would be so easy for a Thai muslim to travel to the middle east, receive training and return to Thailand. Wait, and then months or years later spring into action.

<deleted>

just come to thailand don't buy anything because you'll goto jail. Don't go and drink because it might be near a school or temple and you'll go to jail. Don't go anywhere without your passport or you'll go to jail. And for gods sake to go to beach or you'll get KILLED.

You forgot the most important thing: "Give us your money or credit card and then you can leave."

Maybe a "gaming machine" means the so called slot machines that take money. Surely not playstation and so on.

BANGKOK, 19 February 2016 (NNT)- The Ministry of Commerce has announces a list of 8 goods that have been barred from transfer through the Thai border by the United Nations.

The 8 goods that have been banned from being transferred in and out of Thailand include products that infringe upon intellectual property, reproductions of licensed goods, hookahs and E-Cigarettes, gaming devices, elephant products, ancient artifacts, Buddhist paraphernalia and caffeine.

I don't quite understand this announcement.

Does it mean for commercial purposes?

I mean what about someone having an E-cigarette?

Also what do they mean "gaming devices"? Surely mobile phones are gaming devices.

While the main cause of death was road accidents (34), swimming and boating accidents claimed nine lives, congenital disease six, suicides four, and other causes 30.

The statistics showed that in 2015, visitors had a 1 in 301,204 chance of dying in Thailand, including a 1 in 735,294 chance of being killed in a road crash.

The main cause being road accidents at 34, but following close behind is "other" at 30.

What are the "others"?

So let me see if I got this right. Get beaten up and have your wallet & passport stolen. You report it to the police. Then one of the guys that beat you up, returns your stuff to the police. And now the police do not want to do anything, because this guy at least returned your passport & wallet (minus most of your money). What is the point of even having a police force if they are too lazy to do anything??

Hey come on! Be fair. The cops are not lazy!

They just used 50 men to bust a group of pensioners playing bridge. I am sure they are exhausted after that raid.

If the victim was happy to get his stuff back and decided not to press charges then the police can opt to drop it. That happens in the West too.

And for the hundredth time, the police did not raid the bridge players but City officials did.

I haven't read a hundred times that police were not involved, but I saw in the first headline that they were involved.

"PATTAYA: -- The Army, Pattaya Police and District Officials, conducted a raid on a 2nd floor rented apartment in South Pattaya on Monday Night which was being used by a Bridge Club for foreign nationals."

So I am pretty sure there must have been police officers involved in the raid.

So let me see if I got this right. Get beaten up and have your wallet & passport stolen. You report it to the police. Then one of the guys that beat you up, returns your stuff to the police. And now the police do not want to do anything, because this guy at least returned your passport & wallet (minus most of your money). What is the point of even having a police force if they are too lazy to do anything??

Hey come on! Be fair. The cops are not lazy!

They just used 50 men to bust a group of pensioners playing bridge. I am sure they are exhausted after that raid.

Are hotels required to report any overstayers to immigration? I usually book a hotel under my wife's name and never show my passport to them. I'm not on overstay btw....just askin'.

I think they just copy the passport and later bring these copys to immigration...so another few days when immigration find out there is an overstayer on the loose when one of these officers make it to the hotel the guy already left five weeks ago....

I am not even sure they copy the visa. I think they are only interested in the page with your passport number and personal details.

I doubt very much if anyone at immigration even bothers to check them all.

Xenophobia rears its ugly head again. All we see in the media is negative news about foreigners living in Thailand. I strongly believe that some day in the future all but the elite foreigners, ones that are either doctors or experts in their field will be allowed to work here. The men in uniform dispise foreigners it seems to me. If they had their way we would be back in Kanchanaburi building bridges and railways in a prisoner of war camp.

A few years ago I would have replied... What utter rubbish!, but now I am inclined to agree with you.

Are hotels required to report any overstayers to immigration? I usually book a hotel under my wife's name and never show my passport to them. I'm not on overstay btw....just askin'.

Hotels are required to submit the particulars of all foreign guests. Not sure if Thais have to be reported too.

I am surprised that the hotels do not ask you for some form of ID.

I have written about this before. I often stay in four or five star hotels with my wife and not one has ever asked for my passport.

Let's hope that it works better than their 90 day online reporting system.

The system will be pretty impressive when completed.

Kids need to know what is right and what is wrong. They should be able to play video games without actually cooying them.

How many kids play this game world-wide? Just because a couple of kids in one city get ideas from it, doesn't mean it should be banned.

I mean ... Thais are subject to violence with guns and knives everyday when they watch their beloved soap operas.

They are not influenced by these, are they?

A number of restaurants were hit by I believe these same district officials here in Pattaya over the holidays. A rather big fine for selling alcohol in their restaurant between the hours of 2pm and 5pm. Easy money maker for them.

The alcohol law is a law of which everyone is aware, so if you get caught breaking that law it's not easy money, it is stupid money thrown away.

The Bridge debacle is a completely different story though.

I thought it was only shops that were not allowed to sell alcohol between the hours of 2 and 5pm. If it is a country wide ban I shall inform the authorities that every bar on Sukhumvit along with every restaurant is selling alcohol.

Look out for a raid near you soon.

Don't worry, properly licensed afternoon restaurants and bars are fine.

That isn't true.

I know several licensed restaurants that stop selling alcohol at 2 pm.

I don't know about bars though.