geisha

Lounges are closed world wide. I’m sure some sort of food/snack and water will be served on long haul flights ? As precaution take some vitamin bars they sell in health shops, even supermarkets and chemists. Only one cabin bag.

I like a gamble but I wouldn’t risk booking a flight or holiday before September / October. We will know much more in the coming months.

I just read that article and it is frightening. When you see that countries have had deaths in the 20 to 40 thousands , that they have confined and are now in de -confinement , that travel is most probably going to be possible by August to October, what on earth is the reasoning of the Thai authorities ? For a country that has had 3000 infected and 60 deaths only , I find these predictions Very very strange. Or , that immigration officer has the Anutin maladie and has spouted rubbish he’s just made up ?

Cambodia has the greatest number of NGO s. You’ll see them every night in the best restaurants etc, driving the 50 000$ cars . I often wonder what they do there, the people are still dirt poor living on the pavements and begging for food . No water to wash and rags on their backs, no education for the kids and no health care . Great work NGO s.

I went up to the 8 th floor pool in my condo.Spent an hour or two swimming, chatting with my neighbor. Got to the lift, doesn’t work. Ok, so we walk down the stairs. Floor 7 to floor 2, the doors were locked , luckily the ground floor one was open. I went straight away to the office to tell them. An office girl got very annoyed with me, didn’t want to know, and ended up practically shooing me away shouting ok ok. I had been perfectly polite . Went to my rooms, took a shower, had my coffee, went back out later to eat , checked the floors again, nothing had been done. I called the main office in Pattaya the next morning and the lady was suitably shocked and got the doors opened 30 mins later. That was one of the reasons I moved out.

Chinese will def be back, but not as many. Indians, doubt it , just the women staring lot maybe. Young backpackers who are after the Asia experience, sure, but the savvy travelers and repeat guests ,don’t think so.Thailand has spoilt everything that we came there for years back.

If the authorities had an ounce of good sense they would use this year to clean up the country, get those speedboats into a dock, fix the roads and pavements , smelly drains , and implement rules and order on the roads of death.

This is not new news. It’s been known for many years . I remember reading a report years back and have never eaten somtam since.

I’ve spent most of 35 years renting throughout the European winters. I also travel in South and middle America . I started off on Phuket, which was a little paradise then. I loved it, and my Thai friends. I was lucky to have a beautiful condo belonging to a Thai American journalist. Near the beach. I had my own landline,Fax, tv, washing machine and super kitchen etc. Then... they built a new alley alongside the condo with bars and restaurants etc, and one smelly kitchen right in front of my living room blocking my Mountain View’s. Gutted. So I moved to another condo, not as nice, but a fab pool and lovely neighbors. Enjoyed my time there.Then they built an estate in front of my condo, hundreds of condos and small houses, 3 roads, the noise !!! So, moved to Hua Hin .( I was angry) Nice condo, freezing pool, and I was bored stiff. Moved to Jomtien. Had two nice condos, left my stuff there over the hot season in a storage room. Eventually got fed up of the Russians, then came the Chinese, road jams, pollution, the rising baht, and finally the Covid 19. So I’ve decided to change direction, maybe some Caribbean islands , and if I’m missing Thailand, a week in Bangkok , a week on Phuket to visit my friends and 2 weeks on Koh Chang. No more condo or long stay in Thailand . The main thing I’ve learnt, never to buy a condo or property there.

I use internet a lot and quite a few travel forums, never had it so bad.,Up until 2 weeks ago I had one huge ad slap in the middle of the page. I complained, it was published., Now I have an annoying one bottom right. crazy.

I would certainly contact the British Authorities and Embassy in Bangkok to ask advice. Also ask if they can claim his passport. Whoever, landlord etc are not allowed to keep it. It might give clues.