Hanuman2547

Glad that the miscreant was apprehended! I guess since he is poor there will be no 500 baht fine and a wai. Maybe just a quick wai and a hastily muttered "korthord khraap".

Why? Many people are dependent upon that area to provide for their families and others. It may not be the place for everyone, including me, but others do enjoy visiting that area of Pattaya.

You, and another, took everything too literal. When the salary was quoted as being 35,000 yet 50,000 was supposedly allotted I just stated that it probably was pocketed by an administrator. Hence the smiley face at the end of my post. Sheesh, you guys gotta lighten up some. Sorry it flew over your head(s). ????

Go back and read the very first post. Your answer is there!

Whatever you do, don't buy a used car from one of the "used car tents". You just don't know for sure what you are getting. Car has been in a flood, odometer rolled back some, etc. Best if you can buy from someone you know that is looking to sell their car.

Make Australia Great Again??

It is probably already in Thailand. Just wait, the re-opening will have the brakes put on it.

Stay tuned for more updates especially in light of the "new" variant that has been popping up in South Africa and has been reported in other countries.

Why would you want to meet your ex-Thai wife for lunch? Yes, I get it that texting can be long after awhile. Why not just stop the texting and call instead?

International schools fall under a different category.

It probably is. Some school administrator just pockets the remaining 15,000 baht! ????

It's a buyer's market right now in Thailand and has been for some time. I would never put a deposit down in this country in this current climate.

I would advise to not overstay. I once overstayed by one day about 5-6 years ago. They did not fine me or stamp my passport indicating that I overstayed.

The problem with your suggestions for the Thai government is that they did not come up with it themselves. I mean really, let older retired expats volunteer to be in schools a few hours a week to help the kids learn English? (sarcasm intended)

In Thailand, many Thai teachers know a lot about the English language. They know all the grammar exceptionally well. They have a fairly good vocabulary. However, they are unable to put it all together and communicate verbally in the English language. Then you take the local Issarn lady working in a bar in Pattaya or elsewhere. Doesn't know <deleted> all about verbs, plurals, or the present perfect tense. Limited vocabulary yet can converse in verbal English quite well.

Not only that, they weren't doing very well 35 years ago.

There's still a sizable group that doesn't want the country to open up to foreign tourism.

Yes, and without the bungee!

Yes, back in the "old" days it was very easy to open a bank account. Just show them your passport (Thais use their ID card) and your account is opened very quickly. Visa type/Work Permit of no interest to them. I have opened a few different bank accounts over the years, the first back in 1989 as described above. Do make sure that you open the account at a branch that is convenient for you to go to and is also accustomed to dealing with foreigners. This will help you a lot over time.

"If a tourist has a positive Covid test when they arrive or a negative test but is seated next to someone who had a positive test, they will be quarantined for 14 days at their own cost. This was not announced at the time of border opening. According to local media accounts, this has cost some travellers between Baht 50,000 and, in one example, Baht 350,000. The relatively high costs of Covid tests at the airport, the 500Baht entry fee that will be implemented in 2022 and collected from a booth upon arrival, are putting people off from planning a trip to Thailand." Additionally, "To visit Thailand, you must complete a slew of paperwork and processes, including full vaccination certificates, a pre-paid hotel reservation, a USD 50,000 health insurance coverage covering Covid-19, and an online application for the Thailand Pass. Applicants have complained about difficulties and approval delays on the Thailand Pass website." In regards to the above, I cannot advise anyone to plan a holiday to Thailand at this point in time. Who would want to risk being quarantined for 14 days at a minimum of $1,500? Not to mention the cost and inconvenience of being tested at the airport and the required health insurance covering Covid-19. Only certain hotels are used and at over inflated prices. This includes the one night mandatory stay for 12-30 hours and could possibly be two nights depending upon when your flight arrives. It seems that this is nothing more than a cash grab by the Thai authorities. In addition, the country is not fully open to tourism. My suggestion is to choose another destination until Thailand is ready to enter the global tourism market.

I would ship the bike by either post or air freight. Pretty fast to get from point A to point B.

I love Thai culture! I've been to many Thai cultural sites in a few different Thai cities. Some of my favorites are Nana Plaza, Soi Cowboy, and Patpong in Bangkok. Walking Street, Soi Bhukaew, Soi 6, LK Metro, and other places in Pataya. Bangla Road in Phuket. All fine places that exhibit Thai culture and are known world wide.

A lot of people in close proximity to each other and not wearing masks is the bigger problem no matter where you are. At least on the BTS and MRT people are wearing masks despite being very crowded. However, that could still be considered a risky environment. Alcohol is not really the issue.

Nothing new here at all and something most of us knew was going to happen anyway. Tourists aren't coming until Thailand removes all the barriers to make travel easy to the country. Opening up the nightlife areas and bars will make a huge positive impact as well.

Nothing in the article states that Thailand can't import the drug. Just hope China doesn't put pressure on Thailand not to import from other countries.