GinBoy2

Well if their past history is anything to go by, you will see these aircraft turning into rusty hulks before anything is sold. Years ago they received an offer for one of the aforementioned A340-500's from a middle eastern charter company. Now these aircraft even in pristine condition were basically worthless in the marketplace due to the fact they are horribly un-economical. Any rational company would have taken the offer in a heartbeat and just written off the residual book price. But this is TG, and the result the aircraft sits at U-Tapao rotting away. You can look at the rest of what they are trying to sell and wonder what will happen. The B77X/BA74X/A33X do have an afterlife, but there are a lot washing around right now, and most of those are being properly stored, unlike in the TG case. The A380's are for all intents and purposes unsellable, since no secondary market has emerged and we've already seen them starting to end up being scrapped for parts. So my crystal ball prediction is that should we still be around in 10 years time, all these aircraft will be sat at U-Tapao looking very sad and dejected

Well looking at TG's own website, the distressed asset sale isn't going so well, surprise surprise! http://thaiaircrafttrading.com/index.html Click on the aircraft tab, and as an aviation nerd I follow these things, and nothing has sold so far. I'm also tickled by the 'as-is where-is'' disclaimer I've seen what TG considers long term storage. The A340-500's were parked outside at DMK with little more than engine blanks for years. The airframe and internal electronics left in a hot humid climate will be rotted to Hell. There is a reason airlines pay the money to send their surplus aircraft to storage facilities in Victorville, Teurel and Alice Springs, something that would be met with a 'deer in the headlights' response from anyone at TG management

Well that's the problem, most of today's pilots don't fly, the aircraft electronics fly the plane. It was interesting after the incident when Captain Sully ditched in the Hudson river after a bird strike took out both engines he 'flew' the plane manually The opposite is true for the crew of AF447, who became overwhelmed by the data they were being given from the frozen pitot tubes, and rather than just fly the plane, relied on the electronics, which as we all know resulted in the loss of the aircraft and its passengers in the Atlantic

What type of visa? If you are looking for a tourist visa B1/B2, go into this with your eyes open. Most tourist visas for single Thai women are rejected for the usual host of reasons. This isn't Thai immigration, and no agent regardless of what they claim can in any way influence the outcome, and paying them is just throwing more money down the drain. The forms are simple, you can do it yourself, and if it is refused you are only out of pocket the filing fee. Now if you are looking for an immigrant visa, and since you say girlfriend it would be a K1/K3 then maybe a reputable company would be a good option, since checking the boxes is 100% guaranteed approval

Ray can be as ugly as f**ck. But if he keeps the food and booze flowing, and is still able when things go tits up can do his job I'm good with that

This is a smoke and mirrors game. They have moved a sh**t load of distressed assets to below the line. Those assets, aka aircraft are practically worthless, just add them to the A340-500's. So 'maybe' on a current account basis they may be profitable, they are still horribly in debt

There may some conflation in several of the posts with immigrant and non-immigrant visas. As for non immigrant visas aka tourist visas B1/B2 we have been around this block so many times I've lost count. Do a search and it seems totally incomprehensible why some tourist visas are approved and some rejected. It seems a total <deleted> shoot if a tourist is approved or rejected. Now if you want to talk immigrant visas that's different. K1/K3/CR-1/CR-2, check all the boxes and assuming there is no criminal issue or the like and it's 100% guaranteed approval. Now in our case, granted years ago before we married my now wife applied for a tourist visa when all we wanted to do was visit since my daughter had just had a baby. Good professional job, money in the bank, letter from employer granting her vacation, a US citizen son, etc etc...of course she was denied Years later we wanted to move back to the US, got legally married, nothing else had changed, CR-1 sailed through without a hitch. So I'm at a loss to give any advise!

Problem is that it's a little more complicated that. So much of the Thai economy is in the gray area and not reported. So many of those employed in tourism industry were sending money home. They then probably traded a decent income into a fraction of that selling bbq chicken on the side of the road back home in the village. So even though you don't see the 'in your face' effect, pretty sure the trickle down is pretty devastating

Oh f#fs, I think I may slash my wrists if I hear one more story about 'quality' tourists. In the past 20 years I can't count the number of times I've heard this drivel Maybe turn Thailand in to a quality destination, and the rest will follow! As a little editorial comment. We're off for our annual vacation next month in Hawaii. My wife likes to say, "Thailand on the beach without the garbage and the scams"

Well that's the rub, where does trust, training and panic set in? I know personally a bunch of mainline and regional cabin crews in the US. I think for the most part I would trust them all to step up and do what they are trained to do in an event. I've watched SE Asian crews, and I'm not so sure! A pretty face doesn't always make you competent

Now as an airline employee I have to give a little support for those 'angry old dragons' As much as a little eye candy for old men is appreciated, you have to understand what a flight attendants role is. Yes they are doling out the food and booze. But if push comes to push comes to shove you want flight attendants who help you survive a medical emergency, or worse still some aircraft event. Now I've flown millions of miles on a helluva lot of airlines, and with TG several other SE Asian airlines, I'm not sure in that 'push comes to shove' moment they would be a lot of use. So, he/she may not be all that pretty, but think about their training and what you trust them to do for you in some crisis. Then make your choice

Must admit I've been to Costa Rica maybe 50 times and never felt it to be in anyway dangerous. Maybe folks who have never been there equate it to everything 'South American Drug Gang' territory! ...and I rather like the place

I've always been bemused by the term 'flag carrier'. As an American we've never had a flag carrier, although maybe PanAm back in the day was the closest we got. Flag carriers in my mind tend to suggest State enterprises, the likes of BOAC (British Airways), Lufthansa, Iberia, Air Canada etc, all long since now firmly in the private sector. I thought the idea when the Thai Government decided to drop their majority stake in this turd of an airline was to also drop the idea of it being the 'flag' carrier.

You have been in relationships with Thai women? As loving as they can be, and my wife of 20 years is one of them, pi**ss those girls off are they are devils incarnate

Well it is true, contrary to popular rumor, regular couples do exist in the farang/thai couple world. Now is that an adventure in itself? Hell Yes My wife grew up and was educated in the US, but there is something in the DNA that makes them different. Feisty doesn't quite cut it. Put it this way, a Thai woman is as loving as it's possible to be. But pi**ss that girl off...don't let her near knives! lol. So that 'normal' situation is for a lot of us, but the problem always get down to the fact that so many farang/thai hook up's are with some kind of sex worker. Generally doomed to failure and they feed into the perception from other farangs that your spouse fails into that category. And if you want to see my wife with the 'knives' thing, that a red rag to a Bull

I work for the airline, and best I could do was enter the information as if she was a United employee, but I think this is pretty comprehensive; I entered her as a resident of Thailand holding a German passport and not travelling as an employee Summary Conditional. The traveler will need to hold travel documents as detailed below. USA Passport Passport required. Passport Exemptions: Passengers with an Authorization for Parole of an Alien into the United States (Form I-512). Nationals of Germany with a temporary passport. Document Validity: Passports issued to nationals of Germany must be valid for the period of intended stay. When nationals of Germany travel with a temporary passport, it must be valid for the period of intended stay. When passengers travel with an authorization for Parole of an Alien into the United States (Form I-512), it must be valid on arrival. Minors: Children younger than 16 years and who are nationals of Germany are not allowed to enter the USA on their parents passports. Minors traveling unaccompanied, or accompanied by one parent or a person other than parent/legal guardian, can prevent possible delays if holding a notarized letter of authorization signed by absent parent(s). For more details refer to https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/3643/kw. Warning: Passengers entering or transiting through the USA must have a negative COVID-19 test taken at most 3 days before departure from the first embarkation point. Tests accepted are: antigen, NAAT, RT-LAMP, RT-PCR or TMA. Passengers details (e.g., name and date of birth) in the certificate must match those stated in the passport or other travel document; and the test result must specify "negative" or "not detected". If marked "invalid" it is not accepted. This does not apply to passengers younger than 2 years. This does not apply to passengers with a medical certificate with a positive COVID-19 test result. The test must be taken at most three months before departure from the first embarkation point; and - a letter issued by a health authority stating that the passenger has been cleared for travel. The test result must specify "positive" or "detected", if marked "invalid" it is not accepted. Passengers must complete a disclosure and attestation form before departure. The form can be obtained at https://tinyurl.com/58nw6t8v Passengers are not allowed to enter and transit if in the past 14 days they have been to or transited through Austria, Belgium, Brazil, China (People's Rep.), Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland or the United Kingdom. Below listed passengers are allowed to enter the USA, even if they transited or have been in Austria, Belgium, Brazil, China (People's Rep.), Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom (excluding overseas territories outside of Europe) or Vatican City (Holy See), in the past 14 days: - nationals of the USA; - permanent residents of the USA; - the spouse of a national of the USA. They must have a marriage certificate; - the spouse of a permanent resident of the US. They must have a marriage certificate; - the parent/legal guardian of an unmarried and younger than 21 years national or permanent resident of the USA; - the unmarried and younger than 21 years brother or sister of a national or permanent resident of the USA, who is unmarried and younger than 21 years; - the child/foster child/ward of a national or permanent resident of the USA; - passengers with an IR-4 or IH-4 visa; - passengers with a C-1 or D visa; - passengers with an IR-1, CR-1, CR-2 visa; - passengers with an IV, K-1, K-2, K-3, K-4 visa; - passengers with an A-1, A-2, C-2, C-3, E-1 as an employee of TECRO or TECO or the employee's immediate family members, G-1, G-2, G-3, G-4, NATO-1 through NATO-4, or NATO-6 visa; - passengers with a C-1/D visa traveling to join a ship or aircraft in the USA; - passengers with an H or L crew visa; - passengers with a DV visa issued between 1 October 2019 and 30 September 2020; - members of the U.S. Armed Forces, spouses, and children of members of the U.S. Armed Forces; - passengers with evidence of traveling at the invitation of the USA government for a purpose related to the containment/mitigation of the Coronavirus (COVID-19); - passengers with documents issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or U.S. Department of State indicating that the passenger is exempt from the restriction; - passengers with an NIE exemption. Passengers are subject to Coronavirus (COVID-19) measures set by the state/territory of their final destination. More information can be found at www.cdc.gov/publichealthgateway/healthdirectories/healthdepartments.html Passengers entering or transiting through Virgin Isl. (USA) must have a travel certification obtained at https://usvitravelportal.com/at most 5 days before departure from the first embarkation point. This will generate a green QR code which must be presented before boarding. This does not apply to passengers younger than 5 years. Passengers entering or transiting through Virgin Isl. (USA) must have a negative COVID-19 antigen or molecular test taken at most 5 days before departure from the first embarkation point. The test result must be issued by an approved laboratory, details can be found at https://usviupdate.com/. This does not apply to passengers younger than 5 years. DV visas issued in September 2020 that expired are accepted for entry. Visa Visa required. Visa Exemptions: Nationals of Germany with a biometric passport (with an electronic chip symbol on the cover) and an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA). They must travel as a tourist, on business or in transit, for a maximum stay of 90 days. This does not apply to nationals of Germany with a child's passport (Kinderreisepass). This does not apply to nationals of Germany with a temporary passport. Passengers with an Authorization for Parole of an Alien into the United States (Form I-512). Passengers with a Boarding Foil issued by the USA. Additional Information: A passenger may enter the USA with a valid visa in an expired passport, if also holding a valid passport of the same nationality. Transfer of a valid visa to a valid passport is highly recommended in all cases. The following applies to those traveling under the US Visa Waiver Program: Passengers must have a biometric passport (with an electronic chip symbol on the cover). Detailed information on ESTA restrictions can be found on https://www.cbp.gov/travel/international-visitors/esta# A return/onward ticket (or electronic ticket record) must be to a final destination country other than Canada, Mexico or contiguous (adjacent) countries or territories situated in or bordering the Caribbean Sea . If a passenger holds proof of residence in Canada, Mexico or a contiguous (adjacent) country or territory and is transiting the USA to that country or territory, then an onward/return ticket to that country or territory is accepted. Passenger can make side trips to Canada, Mexico or Caribbean countries/islands if they first enter the USA on a carrier participating in the VWP. No additional time is given (extension) based on the departure to contiguous (adjacent) territory . Warning: Passengers must obtain an ESTA authorization at https://esta.cbp.dhs.gov/. This does not apply to nationals of Germany with a child's passport (Kinderreisepass). Visitors must hold a return/onward ticket to qualify for a visa exemption. Health Vaccinations not required. Warning: Those entering on a K-1 or K-2 visa must hold a medical form FS398 and X-ray plates of chest (full size not necessary).

Hmmm I gonna relate to this. Unfortunately I speak Thai and Lao, and strangely when she is <deleted> off with me always reverts to either Thai or Lao, or a verbal diarrhea of both. There are times I wish she spoke a language I didn't understand! I always laugh when I watch a British movie 'Still Crazy' when Bill Nighy's Swedish wife goes off at him in Swedish

Well regardless of covid, you need two witnesses at the Thai registration of your marriage. You don't need to do anything at the US embassy to register your marriage. When you apply for the CR-1 with USCIS that's when the fun begins. All the Thai documentation will be required along with certified translations. So sorry for all of you doing this in the post DCF world. It was so simple and quick when we did it at the USCIS field office in BKK, but Trump and his fanboys put an end to that in the anti-immigrant world. Plan on 12-18 months for the CR-1 approval, covid or not.

Rather boring actually compared to some of the colorful tales on here We got together back in 2004 when we were both working at the same company in Singapore, yes it was the definitive tawdry office romance, furtive groping in the stairwell lol But we made it work and although we didn't get officially married until many years later, ostensibly to get her a green card for the US, we seem to have stuck together, produced a great adult son and I think have a great late late middle aged life together

Which is why this forum is somewhat skewed. For all of us that post here we have some connection, either through wives, children or the horndogs among us. The opinions expressed here don't represent a typical tourist, and in that respect you are right that calling everyone that sets foot in Thailand is a tourist is delusional. From my previous post, should my Thai wife had actually decided to visit Thailand for family reasons, pretty sure she would have been in the tourist tally even though she wouldn't have spent a cent in any tourist destination

We're going on vacation in Hawaii in December and my wife was looking into seeing if she could go from there to Thailand for a week to visit family, since we haven't been back to 2 years at this point. After an hour or so on her laptop she just gave up and kicked everything into the long grass until next year. So my totally unscientific analysis is that if a Thai wanting to visit family can't be bothered to jump through the hoops, the chances of Jonny sixpack and family being prepared to do the legwork for a family vacation is pie in the sky.

Put it this way. Plough into a mountain and you live 2 seconds longer than those in first class!

I think what you witnessed is the reality right now. I work for Delta and we also service the United contract at our station. We saw our busiest summer season ever, but we are a domestic only station. I was on a United conference call last week and the consensus across the network was that domestic traffic has rebounded to pre-covid levels, whereas International is shaky at best. For United at least they seem to be making tentative steps to restart international routes, but it's very very selective. At the end of the day, airlines are for profit enterprises, not some charity. They tend to have pretty sophisticated load planning tools to predict future passenger loads. When I was at work last week I was scanning both Delta(skyteam) and United(star alliance) to see what flights might be available in December, since my wife wants a trip home. Pretty slim pickings. So looking into my crystal ball, I think across the globe you will see domestic loads looking pretty good going forward, but for international, especially long haul, we have a ways to go before any normality returns One last point. The other notable thing I got out of that conference call was that business travel is really still in the doldrums. I know many of you think that your economy seat is paying the airline bills, but far from it. Airlines need to fill revenue business and first seats to basically subsidize the folks back in cattle class

I'm kinda perplexed by this myself, but it seems to be a global issue for some inexplicable reason. I read the UK news and they are in almost the same boat. No truck drivers, shortage of restaurant, grocery, meat packers the list goes on. My german is a little rusty, but if I read german news correctly the same is true there as well. So don't know what the f*#*k is going on but it seems like a global pandemic of insanity!

You are between a rock and a hard place here. Chances are there is no solid connection to a ground. In a western situation you'd be fine connecting it to a copper water line, but this Thailand and that's not an option. Now i read it says 'Safe-F-Cut' which in Thai speak is as good as it gets. If there is a short the Safe-T-Cut is supposed to trip. So changing the breaker probably won't buy you anything in terms of protection from electrocution and death!