josephbloggs

Same day as I came but I was later in the afternoon, and same result, not a single person waiting even though the airport was really busy. They did have problems with shortages of taxis a couple of months ago but seems they may have sorted it now.

No. Use the queue - those drivers queue for hours so it's not fair to sideline them. I came through last week and there was no queue at all in the official taxi line. A couple of weeks ago there was a fairly long queue.

Then no company would hire the 16th person as it would immediately cause their costs to rise significantly, stifling growth.

There you go again with your childish deflections and insults. And did you not read the part where I said there always was and always will be corruption? And also the part about him being so brazen that he didn't care? As you posted yourself Sarit's wealth was only discovered after his death when there was an inheritance battle. Thaksin flaunted his wealth and waved his corruption around for everyone to see because, as I said before, he genuinely thought he was untouchable and that the rules did not apply to him. If you care to respond to any of my points feel free, but if you just want to insult and deflect then please move along.

Ok, so don't re-introduce dining cars, just renew the entire fleet instead. Got it.

What impact did it have on a me personally? Well luckily I was not put on a drugs blacklist so I am still alive unlike my friend's father who was gunned down by police (no drugs involved at all). Also unlike Nong Fluke, and all the other murdered children and adults across the country - no trials, no evidence, just executed. Thailand has corruption, it is what turns the wheels, always has and likely always will (just like the UK although - until recently - they were better at hiding it). What Thaksin did though was to take it to another level and he became so self obsessed and complacent he didn't even bother to hide it - he literally thought he was untouchable. The Exim bank loan to Burma to buy his satellites. The hiding shares in his maid's name (and driver, and children, and relatives) to avoid tax. The Ratchada land sale to his wife at way below market value. Getting the BOI to grant tax breaks to Shin Corp while he was PM, getting the transport ministry to abolish the minimum air fare law when he was about to engage in a JV with Air Asia. His appalling human rights violations (war on drugs, Tak Bai, Krue Se). The man is a poisonous, self serving crook with only his own interests at heart. His corruption was so visible and open it was really quite astonishing how he thought he would get away with it - he really did believe he could walk on water. Oh, the 30 baht health scheme was good though so I applaud him for that.

Absolutely ridiculous (and childish) thing to say. I dislike Thaksin therefore I must like the junta. It's a very weak thing to say. You do realise you can dislike one without liking the other? My opinion on Thaksin is based on living here through his reign and it has nothing to do with any other political allegiance.

Rapping because she's a rapper. What has singing got to do with anything? Most old man comment so far.

What a ridiculous comparison. The Good Cat is a city run around and is half the price of the Tesla. And anyway, the base Model 3 does 0-60 in 6.1 seconds. If you want 3.3 seconds you need the Performance model which is 2.3m baht, or three times the price of the Good Cat. Seriously, how can you make such a ridiculous comparison???

What is sub par about them exactly?

Hilarious, absolutely hilarious.

My personal favourite was him approving a low interest government loan to the oppressive (and globally sanctioned) military dictatorship in Burma to buy Shin Corp satellites and services. Yep, a great leader who should be welcomed back. I have lived here 27 years and he is the most corrupt self serving one of all of them (and he has some competition). Not sure why some people have rose tinted specs, my guess is they didn't live through the Thaksin years and didn't see it first hand.

Wow, no need to get all patronising. It was a light hearted response to your comment that there are no electronics. If you plug it in it has electronics. Never mind.

I'm pretty sure there are electronics involved.

I'm so happy I have found another warrior!! Well done you, well done for making the poor woman's kindness look stupid. I flew to Vietnam last week, I wasn't wearing a mask in the airport, no problem. On boarding (Vietnam Airlines) they gave me a mask and asked me to put it on. Being a warrior like you I refused, I said I didn't want it, and I marched right past her and into my seat. Everyone else was wearing one but not me, I am a warrior!! (Actually when she handed me one and asked me to put it on I said "thank you" and put it on, just like you should have done on that bus).

Nice assumption but completely wrong. I was in Vietnam last week, 85% mask wearing is my estimate. Singapore was less but still 40-50%. Philippines was 85-90%. Why do you assume it is only Thailand and China? It is not. I dare say it is much of SE Asia. Personally I don't wear one unless I take the BTS or other mass transit and that really doesn't kill me.

So 10 weeks would cost you 9,800 baht. Very cheap really, not sure what better options you would have. I don't think any nearby cheap hotel would let you leave your car for ten weeks - a couple of nights maybe. But you never know if you book a couple of nights with them at either end of the trip?

It was only touted as that by a few negative posters on here, nowhere else really. And now it is losing tourists to Thailand: https://e.vnexpress.net/news/travel/hassles-dissuade-foreign-tourists-from-visiting-vietnam-4535949.html I was in Vietnam last week and generally like the place but it is not a patch on Thailand for so many reasons.

Again, supply and demand. They do allow direct international flights to the places that have demand for direct international flights and which airlines can make a profit on. Places like Phuket, Samui, Chiang Mai, Krabi Hat Yai etc. The airlines know the demand and number of travelers to each location. If there was sufficient demand to regularly fill planes between two international locations then they would put a case forward to upgrade them, just as has happened in the past with airports that are now international.

Come one, you really think they are spending a trillion dollars on DMK??? It is 36 billion baht, or about a billion USD.

Because there is no demand to justify it. How many people will fly direct from the UK to Udon Thani for example? No demand for direct flights = no need to build an international airport. Makes sense to make sure the ones in Bangkok have the capacity.

If you've lived here 34 years you really should know that it is peak monsoon season in southern Thailand in November.

I just came through this afternoon, landing from Vietnam. The airport was really busy, busier than I have seen it in a long while. First immigration had a three minute wait posted, second had four. I looked and there were maybe four people at each counter. I had Fast Track access so I used it anyway and was straight through. When I arrived at the carousel my bag was already there so I was straight out. And we'd parked at E10 which is pretty much the farthest gate away! From leaving the plane to leaving the airport with my luggage was under 20 minutes, possibly the most efficient ever. The baggage hall was very busy so I expected a long queue for taxis but there was none at all. Plenty of taxis lined up. More people in the terminal than I have seen in a long while, but the shortest wait for immigration and baggage in a long while too (although I find immigration is generally pretty ok).

According to this site you can't buy online. You can only buy at a station two days before. https://www.baolau.com/en/transportation/laos/trains/#:~:text=Online ticket booking is not,opens two days before departure.

Who said he's trying to save money?