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In the south the rebels either rob armouries or simply take down small ranger posts and take their weapons. The army brings plenty of firepower with them but they seem remiss when it comes to ensuring their enemy doesn't take them off them.

Who says they're old? I'm 64 years young so less of the old! ????

The UK FCO website posts the following map as a guide as to where you might consider avoiding. As you can see Hat Yai and Songkhla Town excluded from the "all but essential travel" area. My own personal experience of 17 years in Hat Yai has been positive, but as with anywhere you think to travel it's down to your own personal risk assessment. https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/thailand .

There are geothermally active areas in Thailand, Chiang Mai being one of them. It's home to Thailand's only geothermal power plant near Wiang Fang.

I have no idea, it's just somewhat out of the way if you live in the south, and there are plenty of other beach options that are nearer. Would suspect Malaysians are of the same mind, plus places like Hat Yai have a familiarity. If you're Malaysian-Chinese Hat Yai has a large Chinese community, if you're Malay there are plenty of Halal food options and Pattani Malay is widely spoken. .

mi.rin.da (No phone number) ( 7.004160, 100.487212) They closed the old location during Covid and reopened at a much bigger venue just off Thumnoonvithi, 2nd right after The Hashi if heading out of town. A large barn like building open on all sides, plenty of seating both under cover and out doors, and a huge carpark at the back. Same format as before, a music bar restaurant; Thai BBQ with a wide variety of beers and cocktails. Popular with trendy young Thais, lots of students as we're at that end of town. Visited a couple of times now, food is good and the service is quick, Thai music with local musicians (students I suspect) performing one hour sets. Meal for four with alcohol came to under Bht2000, so not an expensive night out.

As noted in another topic you seem to be easily annoyed ????.

My nearest mosque is 200m away line of sight, the call to prayer merely marks my day. I find the Adhan rather soothing, we are fortunate to have muezzin with a good voice. I lived three years in Malaysia and worked eight years in Indonesia. With a few exceptions, hotels next to mosques or locations with too many competing mosques, it's not something that's bothered me, I sleep through the dawn prayers. Indeed, that's one of the attractions of Hat Yai, the mix of Thai, Malay and Chinese cultures.

Yes, Hat Yai is busy, almost getting back to normal. It's school break in Malaysia so holiday time. Money's tight, as it is for many in the current economic climate, so a near home holiday in Thailand is a great option. I've a Malaysian friend visiting Hat Yai next week, bringing wife and kids up on the train, it's only about 5 hours from KL to Padang Basar. No flooding here, weather here has been very pleasant this last week.

Splendid, I'm happy you don't like the place ???? I suspect it's very much the other way around. The Thai government has never suggested tourists not visit the south, though various foreign governments have. The UK advisory against travel in the south covers Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, plus southern Songkhla province, south of the highway 42 and east of highway 4, so that excludes Hat Yai, Songkhla Town and the western part of the province leading to the border with Malaysia.

It's been very quiet in Hat Yai, nothing since 2014, I've listed the terrorist incidents below. Security is far more apparent in Hat Yai then most cities in Thailand, so it's probably safer for that. We moved here just after the bombing in 2005, never felt overly concerned, mindful, but never been worried. 2018 December 27th : Two pipe bombs exploded on Samila Beach at 10pm damaging the Songkhla Mermaid statue. Police searching the area the following day discovered a further 3 unexploded devices in locations along the beach front. 2014 May 6th : Three improvised explosive devices exploded roughly seven minutes apart wounding eight people. One near police flats, one by a 7-11, one near the railway station. 2012 March 31st : Car bomb explosion in the basement Lee Gardens Plaza Hotel damaged that building and an adjacent McDonald's in Hat Yai, killing four and leaving 416 wounded, mainly from smoke inhalation. 2007 May 27th : Seven explosions that injured 13 people. Most of the bombs were hidden in garbage bins and detonated nearly at the same time starting 9.00 pm. But one bomb was hurled into JB Hat Yai Hotel and another exploded in front of Hat Yai Garden Hotel. 2006 September 16th : The attack consisted of six bombs which were detonated at around 9:30 pm in the Ocean Department Store, in front of the Brown Sugar Pub, a car parking building, Big C shopping mall, the Lee Garden Hotel and Diana Department Store. The bombs were planted on motorcycles and were triggered by mobile phone. Four people were killed and 82 were injured. 2005 April 3rd : Three explosions took place between 8:00 to 8:30 pm. A bomb planted in a garbage bin exploded in front of a Carrefour department store in Hat Yai, injuring five and causing minor damage to the building. Shortly after that, a bomb inside a bag exploded at the departure hall of Hat Yai International Airport, killing two and injuring 47. Lastly, a bomb planted on a motorcycle exploded in front of Green World Hotel in Songkhla without causing any injuries or deaths nor damage to the building.

So did I at a similar price, but the plastic cracked within a few months and it sprung a leak. Second one I bought is a better copy, made with styrene-acrylonitrile resin, cost 3 times the price, though still a third the price of the genuine item. Two years on it hasn't cracked up and works just fine.

I've been here the better part of 17 years and farang have always been few a far between. You'll usually find a few, mainly teachers, at The Swan on a weekend, and occasionally in the Post Laser. Unless people are working here, or marriage has brought them here, it's not really on the map for westerners, except for passing traffic on visa runs or off to the islands. Not something I miss.

I'm happy with beans from BonCafe order online https://www.boncafe.co.th/en/home/ Use a small hand grinder and a clever dripper.

The margins on USD exchange buy/sell are so tight that Wise is more expensive on transfers above ±USD 10k.

Brave is my main browser, but I also have Vivaldi and Firefox installed (Edge is there but not used). Brave I find to be best for eliminating unwanted ads, it even gets rid of the ad breaks on ITV and Ch4.

Read meat for Daily Male readers.

Neither do I. But I've seen various comments from Ireland, Argentina, Australia etc, etc from people who seem to take satisfaction from the death of an old lady. I guess it's what they feel she represents - that they can't see through that hatred or animosity to the little old lady herself is sad.

Like most Malaysians, Pattaya is not a place I want to go.

She was, she was born in Nigeria, then moved to the US with her mother at age 13. I can only imagine her family were caught up in the Biafran war, that's the only major conflict in Nigeria during Queen Elizabeth's reign that the UK took sides. UK supported Nigeria against the Biafran separatists. But doesn't justify the tirade against the dying Queen. I guess her book sales aren't going well. .

There was one about money lost from a Thai bank account recently. Guy lost his phone in a bar, but his password was date of birth, which isn't too bright. Also it wasn't his first time losing things, so wasn't surprised the bank weren't interested in giving him a refund. But there was a second thread, maybe a month ago, with someone losing money from a Santander account having lost his phone and cards(?) which sounds very similar. Santander were had little sympathy, much like Charlotte's case in the original article, which was also Santander. .

Maybe not such a good idea. I have different PINs for each of my cards.

Thanks for the correction, I hadn't realised I could now change my PIN at the ATM in the UK. Though the point about PIN reminders, I can't find any option in either the KBank or Krungsri banking apps that lets me request a PIN reminder.

I don't think they can use this method with Thailand banks. UK banks issue you with card and PIN, posted separately, there is no option to change the PIN at the ATM. Thai ATM PIN numbers are registered on the card when you activate a new card at the bank, you enter your own PIN, you can also change your PIN at the ATM. Thai banking apps don't have the same option UK banks have to send a PIN reminder. But it's worth taking the advice given in that article and disable notifications on the lock screen.