josephbloggs

4 hours ago, crazykopite said:

A friend of mine who is a teacher in Chiangmai also took part in the LM she did it in a shorter time but no mention of her maybe because she is not a Thai citizen but a farang  !

Why should she get a mention? My brother also did it - should he have a press story? Should everyone get one?

It's a quirky story that isn't important but is a bit of fun. But you have to make it in to a farang victim thing. Try removing that massive chip from your shoulder and you'll find life gets easier.

On 4/21/2023 at 10:33 PM, bignok said:

But take money. That's dodgy. Never used them.

Nothing dodgy about it. When you search you can see the location on a map but it is accurate to maybe one small block. You get the exact address after booking but you can see perfectly well where the property is. I have used Airbnb dozens of times in many countries and always been happy with my location as I knew where I wanted to stay - it is not like you say "Bangkok" and you have no idea where in Bangkok you'll be. Also they always have pictures in their listing so you can see the view from the apartment.

And anyway that's what reviews are for - go and check them before you book.

The people in the OP obviously hadn't researched the city they were going to, it's nothing to do with Airbnb concealing the location as it is very clear where you are (and yes what you see here is accurate because I have stayed in some of them).

On 4/21/2023 at 3:18 PM, Stevey said:

You can buy an android and open settings add a user name and password , verify the account is yours via a text from Apple to the registered SIM cards or pre-registered friends numbers and everything gets sucked into the phone ? 
 

Are you sure ? My general rule is to blank anyone I see with a non IOS phone on the basis that they either have no sense of right or wrong Sometimes I just feel sorry for them and try to educate the poor devil.

I actually have an iPhone - I bought an iPhone 14 Pro Max about two months ago.  My last iPhone before that was an iPhone 4 after which I switched to Samsung and have stayed there ever since as they just did more things better than an iPhone. However I decided to come back and give Apple a chance as I use a Mac Book Pro and figured it would make sense to be all Apple.

Verdict? Meh. It's decent but has many annoying deficiencies and if I had the choice again I would have gone Samsung S22 Ultra. Android is just a bit slicker. But at the end of the day a phone is a phone and when it comes time to buy my next one (not for a few years hopefully) I'll see what's on the market and chose what is best - I certainly wouldn't automatically buy one on brand loyalty as that would be stupid and only morons shop that way. (Oh, seems that's the way you shop? Sorry)  Fanboys are just weird.

I do the same with my cars too and have never owed the same brand more than once in a row.

On 4/21/2023 at 4:57 PM, Denim said:

Our Garden on April 10th 2022. This year is exceptionally hot and dry.

 

 

It is exceptionally hot and dry this season (I've been here 28 years and this feels like this hottest), but last year was exceptionally wet and exceptionally early, so can't really compare as it is two extremes.

1 hour ago, John Drake said:

It's a stimulus policy. Much needed. Other parties in power have had the same opportunity to do this for the past three years. But they didn't.  

Come on, "Vote for us and we'll give you all money" is a stimulus package and not another way of vote buying? Do you really believe that?

16 minutes ago, driver52 said:

errrr maybe because the cities are overcrowded? go on then, name me a Thai city that doesn't have 'traffic issues'?

I live in Bangkok and most of the places I go to on a daily basis don't require me to sit around for hours in traffic. Driving to and from work, no problem. Driving the kids to school and picking them up, no problem. Driving to a restaurant for dinner, no problem. Driving to the supermarket, no problem. Driving to play football, no problem.

Of course if you want to drive up Sukhumvit in rush hour you're going to be stuck in traffic, but why would I do that?

Bangkok has bad traffic, many cities do. But it was you who asked why anyone would want a city car to "sit around in traffic for hours". I explained why that was a silly thing to say. I never sit around in traffic for hours, never. I could if I was stupid, but I'm not.

3 minutes ago, driver52 said:

for real? it's bad enough driving in a city in Europe, never mind Thailand......or do you like being stuck in slow moving traffic for hours on end?? ????

Believe it or not if you live in the city then it is quite handy to have a city car. Why would you be stuck in traffic for hours on end? 

31 minutes ago, misterphil said:

Raja is the ferry company, not the name of the vessel. 

Yes, and Seahorse is Seahorse, nothing to do with Raja.

Quote

its ferries, not farries too. 

Brilliant, well done for pointing out a typo, very well done.

Haven't seen a single Songkranner today. Normally in Bangkok it's full on on 13th & 14th, half hearted on 15th (except in places like Khao San), and done by 16th.

13 minutes ago, gomangosteen said:

The clue there maybe that it was cheap.

NZ beef exports in 2022 $1.9 billion to China, $1.4 billion to USA, Thailand doesn't appear on any list I can find so guessing very low volume or forward from another country.

Just saying you may not have tried them all?

Yes, of course I haven't tried them all, and am not saying there is no good NZ beef out there - I am sure there is very good NZ beef out there just as there is excellent NZ lamb (although I prefer Aussie lamb personally) and I am sure you pay accordingly for it which is just fine. If I want a steak I am willing to pay for a good one. If I want lamb I will pay for high quality imported lamb. 

My comment was specifically addressed to the poster who made the ridiculous claim that his 102 baht NZ ribeye (that came from a secret place he won't tell anyone about even though it is expatfoodthailand.com) is the best most amazing meat..........which it isn't, it is nasty cheap rubbish (as the price correctly reflects).

There is nothing to be gained from buying the cheapest meat unless you plan on slow cooking it for hours in a stew.

4 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

I don't see how this could happen.

Son shows his UK Passport at Airline Check-in - there is no way for the Airline to recognise he has a renewal application in progress.

Son shows his Thai Passport at Thai Immigration (upon departure). 

I would be careful with that as if you check in with one passport but switch it at departing immigration it can be an issue. Happened to me in Dubai after a holiday there. Checked in with Thai passports to avoid questions about Thai visas, presented UK ones at immigration (as we entered on UK passports) and they took me aside as these were not the same passports we checked in with. I had to go back to check in and they got a supervisor to rectify the situation. Was all a bit of a pain and took a while to resolve.

2 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

I don't think the Current Passport is actually ‘cancelled’ on application. 

 

But... The GOV.UK website does state << You can’t travel with it after you’ve applied for a new one - but you will be able to keep your existing passport for ID purposes >>

 

This potentially creates somewhat of a conundrum: 

I’ve applied for my Sons UK Passport 14 weeks before we need to travel.

 

IF his passport has not arrived before then we’ll have little choice but to travel back to the UK on his existing passport.

 

I’m not sure if this would be flagged upon arrival at Border Control UK (but they cannot refuse entry to a British National anyway). 

 

I’m wondering IF we could then apply again for a British Passport (in Person - Fast track service). 

 

OR... Simply exit the UK on his Existing Passport or his Thai Passport (and hopefully pickup his new passport at some point on return to Thailand). 

 

I can’t see where he ‘could be’ prevented travel. 

 

 

i.e. Even thought the Gov.uk website states ‘you can’t travel with it'  I don't see how they’d know.

 

 

NOTE: I was quoted 11 weeks (which is theoretically sufficient time).

 

 

 

I'm in the same boat. Applied 2.5 weeks ago for my son's renewal and was advised 11 weeks. Not sure if the 11 weeks already accounts for the five weeks of industrial action or not but looking now they still say 11 weeks so hopefully it is accounted for as we want to go to the UK in the summer.

They do say your passport is cancelled upon acceptance of your renewal submission (moot for me as his had expired anyway) and you can't use it to travel. I do, however, know people who have travelled on their UK passport in SE Asia even after applying for a new one but it's a bit risky if you ask me. But as you are going to the UK that's a different story.

Hoping the 11 weeks is accurate but also annoyed at myself for not doing it earlier.

31 minutes ago, DudleySquat said:

You people are all silly money wasters.  I buy New Zealand Rib Eye.  130b buys me about 280grams of steak. 

 

I know where to buy food here, and it's not always Tops or Lotus's or Villa Market.  My meat costs a hell of a lot less than what they charge, sometimes by half. 

 

Just heavily salt your steak and let it sit overnight.  Then let it warm to room temperature before heating a cast iron skillet and searing both sides properly. 

 

That's it.  Salt, pepper, and steak sauce, and you have a perfectly cooked steak. 

 

Silly people, keep wasting your money with the nag flesh sold at Tops. 

 

Not me. 

Good for you. I have tried the cheap NZ ribeye and it is terrible.

I know you think you know better than everyone but believe me, you don't. Some things are worth paying for - good steak is one of them.

2 hours ago, Drop the dead donkey said:

It would actually work for a scammer, as passports are only taking 2-4 weeks now. There is no real backlog anymore.

A pretty clever scam really.

 

No they are not. I applied for my son's renewal two weeks ago and there is currently an 11-12 week wait. Also all the passport offices in England are on a five week strike right now. I am not sure if that is factored in to the advised 11-12 week turnaround time or not.

So there is a huge backlog, you are very much wrong. 

2 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

So Bangkok history lesson...

 

I first came to Bangkok almost 20 years ago, and as best as I recall, the current Foodland Soi 5 location was open then, as was the prior Villa Market location at the top of Soi 11.

 

So, prior to that, there was a freestanding Foodland somewhere along Ploenchit Road instead???

 

 

I came 28 years ago and Foodland Soi 5 existed. But Villa only had 33/1, nowhere else. They started expanding in the late 90s I think. I also remember reading an interview with the owner from around that time that they never ever borrowed money for a new location, it was always financed by their existing cashflow. 

4 minutes ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

Being tall, I have to duck to avoid hitting my head every time I venture into Foodland Soi 5,,,, And if I need to bend down to look at some item on the lower/bottom level of a shelf, I'm taking up the entire narrow width of their aisles.

 

Villa Soi 33 is almost as bad or as bad when it comes to narrow aisles... But at least I don't have to worry as much about hitting my head on the ceiling there.

 

I guess that is why you're Tall Guy John.

Yeah, Villa 33 is very tight and I don't really like shopping there, but they'll never give that location up as they make a lot of money from it and they own that whole plot of land all the way back to where Blockbuster used to be plus one side of 33/1, so it guess it will be "The Original" for a long time to come - until one day they sell the lot and a condo goes up.

I used to quite like the Fuji behind there but haven't been in for years - wonder what it is like now?

(God this is a depressingly middle aged conversation)