https://aseannow.com/rss/44-thailand-news.xml/National and regional news from all around ThailandenNeedless to say, the deplorable third.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 02:41:09 +0000Mon, 06 Jul 2026 02:40:08 +0000Every year I fly back and forth to Europe; apart from during the Covid pandemic, I’ve never seen the plane so empty on my flight back to LoS as I did recently in June. I’m convinced that this is due to the unrest in the Middle East, particularly the stopovers there; these flights are usually cheaper than direct ones.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 02:39:48 +0000In a nutshell that summarizes some of what I still love about Thailand and that is what I call the non-predictability factor. Nearly every day something happens here that surprises me, back in America it was just boredom day in and day out, and an extreme ability to predict every day's outcome. No thanks. Still love every day here.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 02:39:38 +0000Mon, 06 Jul 2026 02:38:56 +0000Hey everyone, I really need some perspective here because my jaw dropped when I saw my water bill for June. My wife and I live in an older condo, and our latest bill came out to a whopping 5,314 Baht. According to the bill, we somehow consumed 156 units at 34 Baht per unit. Here is the thing: we don't have a pool, we don't take baths, and we don't have any water-heavy appliances or luxuries. It’s just the two of us living a pretty standard lifestyle. 156 units sounds like we are running a commercial car wash out of our living room. GeographicReference Before I head over to the local water authority to double-check everything, I wanted to check in with the community. How many units does your household normally burn through? What unit price are you currently paying in Pattaya or the nearby suburbs? Is 34 Baht/unit normal for an older building? If anyone has dealt with a huge spike like this, please let me know how you tracked down the issue. I am terrified we have a massive hidden pipe leak somewhere behind the walls. Appreciate any insights or numbers you guys can share!Mon, 06 Jul 2026 02:38:33 +0000Hey everyone, I really need some perspective here because my jaw dropped when I saw my water bill for June. My wife and I live in an older condo, and our latest bill came out to a whopping 5,314 Baht. According to the bill, we somehow consumed 156 units at 34 Baht per unit. Here is the thing: we don't have a pool, we don't take baths, and we don't have any water-heavy appliances or luxuries. It’s just the two of us living a pretty standard lifestyle. 156 units sounds like we are running a commercial car wash out of our living room. Before I head over to the local water authority to double-check everything, I wanted to check in with the community. How many units does your household normally burn through? What unit price are you currently paying in Pattaya or the nearby suburbs? Is 34 Baht/unit normal for an older building? If anyone has dealt with a huge spike like this, please let me know how you tracked down the issue. I am terrified we have a massive hidden pipe leak somewhere behind the walls. Appreciate any insights or numbers you guys can share!Mon, 06 Jul 2026 02:37:46 +0000The sad reality is that everything has changed we are living in a completely different world now certainly Thailand has changed, but the entire planet has changed. It's my assessment that the quality of life everywhere has declined. But for many of us the quality of life in Thailand is still quite high, and I for one wake up every morning feeling pretty damn good and very happy that I'm here. I just returned from 2 months in America and I can tell you first hand that it's pretty sad back there. Life has diminished dramatically, for all but the top 5 or 10%, everything is overpriced beyond comprehension, and I see very little in the way of joy expressed by most people. There's a lot of frustration, a lot of bitterness, a lot of disappointment, and a lot of people who are in a position are leaving. My heart goes out to the ones that are left behind. By contrast even though things are difficult here I find that most Thai people have a good attitude, are fairly positive, and are able to maintain light hearts with a great sense of humor, which I find delightful to be around. The only way I would go back to live in America would be if a sponsor stepped up and paid me $3 million dollars a year, and then it would only do it for 3 years!Mon, 06 Jul 2026 02:36:42 +0000Shouldn't there be proactive Thai authorities to check the legality of shipping containers before leaving Thailand? Typically, modern detection relies on a combination of risk-based intelligence targeting, advanced non-intrusive imaging technology, and chemical vapor analysis. All seems lacking indicated by this subject case but surely well within the means of the Thai government.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 02:36:13 +0000Does anyone know how far in advance u can book ur license renewal online? I checked today for Phuket and its fully booked thru Dec 31st BUT you cant book for Jan at all, no dates available or even marked full for Phang nga there were spaces in Nov and Dec but same.... cant choose any dates in Jan ??Mon, 06 Jul 2026 02:35:00 +0000I have used the one by door # 1 for a few years now, last time about a year ago with a non-o retirement stamp. Might have to use the long line next time, hope not.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 02:34:40 +0000This comment surprised me. I would definitely explore this issue thoroughly with your wife as, in my opinion, if your wife's not comfortable in the village, that's gonna be a make or break issue. Is your wife from there or is this going to be a totally new location for her? If your wife IS from the village and she's saying she's bored or doesn't like it there, chances are it's because there's some history there between her and whoever which you also need to get to the bottom of. I assume your wife is Thai, but it's not 100% clear if this is the case. If she is Thai and the village is totally new to her and she's not from there, that could be, in terms of social adjustment, tough sledding. Don't expect that just because she is Thai, that everyone is going to treat her like family or a lifelong friend, when you and her suddenly drop out of the sky into the village. If you and your wife are both not Thai, even if you are exceptionally outgoing and have stellar Thai language skills, I would expect a Western couple to struggle socially in a village setting. I've lived in a province bordering Nakon Sawaan for 23 years.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 02:32:11 +0000Off topic post about Trump removed @SiSePuede419 Rule 10. You will not post troll messages. Trolling is the act of purposefully antagonizing forum members by posting controversial, inflammatory, irrelevant or off-topic messages with the primary intent of provoking other members into an emotional response or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 02:31:39 +0000Trump Didn’t Bring Jobs Back — He Drove Customers Away Trump sold himself as the guy who would bring jobs back to America. What he’s actually done is push entire markets to build alternatives. Europe isn’t just cancelling subscriptions. It’s funding competitors. Domestic cloud platforms. European communication tools. Sovereign data infrastructure. Trump didn’t weaken Microsoft and Google with regulation. He did it with recklessness. Through sheer incompetence, the goon has achieved what China and Russia have been trying to do for years: fracture American technological dominance. And the irony? U.S. tech companies are now begging Europe to stay — quietly assuring governments that they’re “independent” from Washington. That’s not strength. That’s damage control. Our Adversaries Are Delighted While American companies scramble, China and Russia are watching this unfold like Christmas morning. No cyberattack. No sanctions. No espionage. Just the U.S. torching its own credibility. When Europe builds its own digital ecosystem, American leverage shrinks — economically, politically, and strategically. Influence isn’t just aircraft carriers anymore. It’s standards, platforms, and trust. Trump is dismantling all three. The Part Americans Don’t Want to Hear? Seventy-five million Americans looked at this man — the chaos, the threats, the ignorance — and voted for it. Twice. Not by accident. Not unknowingly. You wanted to “own the libs.” Instead, you owned American companies out of billions, handed markets to competitors, and convinced allies that dependence on the U.S. is dangerous. You didn’t stick it to Europe. Europe walked away. This Is the Real Cost of Trumpism Not just rhetoric. Not just embarrassment. Structural, long-term economic damage. France isn’t flipping America off. It’s doing something far colder and more rational: Planning for a future without the US? Honestly? Trump didn’t deserve loyalty. American tech didn’t deserve this. Independence Day- for this?Mon, 06 Jul 2026 02:31:03 +0000A post translating another poster’s quote has been removed. Please only post comments and quotes in English.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 02:27:03 +0000Other than having no contact with his family I really don't see any time bomb.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 02:24:00 +0000Typically I think the average condo unit has a microwave for cooking and nothing else that seemes ridiculous especially with cooking Thai meals. I used an electric grill and convection plate placed in the balcony.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 02:19:19 +0000https://archive.ph/Sq5j4 The Sunday Times article.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 02:18:42 +0000Wot are you talking aboutMon, 06 Jul 2026 02:18:14 +0000Yes, we went to Da Nang last year and the room rate was about 40% of a comparable hotel in Phuket. Western meals in restaurants were about half the price in Thailand (and generally better prepared). It was only the street food where prices were on a par.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 02:18:04 +0000Pretty sure can't build one on the road.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 02:15:45 +0000Renewables are cheaper than fossil fuels. IK energy prices are jacked up by ‘marginal pricing’ which transfers the cost savings of renewables into corporate profits at cost to consumers.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 02:15:24 +0000Two weeks ago I was travelling from Bangkok to Pattaya. It was the first in my 20 plus years in Thailand that the 10.30 am (rush hour) bus leaving Ekamai station was half empty. The slow down in Pattaya tourism is real.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 02:15:24 +0000It was inevitable. At some point the Reefer Madness madness was due to return.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 02:15:07 +0000Permission of Stay.Mon, 06 Jul 2026 02:14:31 +0000