[Thailand offers visa-free travel to Russian visitors for 3 months]

no 60 days visa free entrance for EU-citizens? 😔My holidays are 6 weeks, every year we have to go to IT-Square in Laksi an pay for another 30 days stamp (but "using" just 12 more). Embarassing.

[Unprecedented crisis for the Thai Police as Srettha baulks despite lawyer’s damning claims]

Mr Sittra claims that the network generates ฿100 million a month from criminal activities across the kingdom
much more for sure. I would guess 100 million USD a month

[Thai Health Minister Proposes Marijuana Bill Focusing Only on Medical Use]

hopefully they will close down ALL the Pot-Shops. I find them EXTREMLY boring. Especially in "Party-Areas" they are always empty and stinky (even if new renovated and clean). For example SoiCowboy: it IS a Beer/Girlie/LiveMusic/DJ-Area. Cannabis-Shops are a foreign matter in those environments.

[Anutin admits to difficulties in solving the Green Line train issues]

if already the green line (wich is always packed) is in debt, i wonder how about the purple line or the SRT light red line ?! Mostly empty

[Abuse scandal puts Thailand’s treatment of children under spotlight]

this picture makes me cry...for a child, this is more torture than punishment.

[TAT celebrates 63rd anniversary in 2023]

TAT targeting to celebrate 630rd anniversary in 2033

[Major Thai brewer announces increase in beer prices]

19 hours ago, RedArmy said:

From today 1st July ????

I bought a box yesterday & noticed on my receipt afterwards, i was charged 766 baht instead of my usual 745 baht.

that are whopping 20Euros for 7.4 litres. Glad I stay in germany....the litre is sold for 50-70 EuroCent here- 5.99€ for a beer crate of 20 bottles.

[Government Urges Venues to Strictly Follow COVID Measures During Songkran]

14 hours ago, mtls2005 said:

Just use the same "measures" they used at the Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan last week.

 

 

oh wait- is that truly an actual picture? Are there really so many westerners now on the islands?

I haven't been to thailand for more than 30 months, but from what I read according to the expats here in the ASEAN Forums everywhere it's deserted and pictures of Pataya and the islands show only empty streets. So again- ist that a "pre-covid" photo or is it 2022?

[Sexy Thailand: Popular "Bikini Run" set for post pandemic comeback]

34 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

The girls in the photos are nothing like the ones I see foreigners with on Soi Bukao! 

It seems more like a fashion-Shooting for Puma (and Adidas maybe). Do they get the Bikinis for free? Can they keep them after the run?

[Brit 'tourist' murdered by scythe in Kanchanaburi - friend in hospital - loud music blamed]

22 hours ago, DPKANKAN said:

Have you ever been to Kanchanaburi?? Obviously not on the Mae Nam Kwae Road. Plenty of bars, with girls and restaurants and always plenty of places to drink at all hours and even during lock down. 

ok, thanks. I just made a google-maps walkthrough. Didn't know that as I was only in forest and in national parcs when in Kanchanaburi. Next time I'll give it a try....  ????

[Brit 'tourist' murdered by scythe in Kanchanaburi - friend in hospital - loud music blamed]

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

What more is there to say here...

 

Guys drinking with music, 3am.... 

Neighbour has enough attacks the group. 

 

This story has been repeated numerous times in Thailand, it usually ends up with gun-shots.

 

------

 

The guys drinking were certainly inconsiderate of those around them, but no one deserved to die or to be on the wrong end of a grievous attack. 

 

 

 

 

This is what happens when you lockdown Party-towns and night-time places like Pataya or Bangkok. Tourists hang out in boring places like Kanchanaburi, nothing to do after 8 pm, sitting in front of their rooms drinking for endless hours. No Bars around, no girls to meet. Just wasting time and annoying others. Until.... R.I.P.

[Expert Predicts Rise in COVID-19 Cases But Herd Immunity Possibility From Omicron]

>The expert noted as well that the outlook for vaccine manufacturers may not be as bright going forward as a consequence of this trend.

 

What? At least for research and development it certainliy is bright. Biontech is booming here in germany (suddenly even making City of Mainz and Bundesland Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate) a wealthy state due to taxes) and you hear scientists speaking of the twenties as a "virology decade"

[Japanese media hopes that old trains sent to Thailand won't rust away like one in 2016]

>It was supposed to be re-gauged to fit Thai tracks for use in 2017 but instead was left to rot in a railway siding

No wonder. Re-gauging rolling stock is expensive and complex. Not worth it for old japanese rusty coaches and engines.

["Overloaded Trucks": Cabinet act after NACC indicate widespread corruption and lawbreaking"]

Quote

I can't see a problem here, officer! Just plastic barrels, all empty. Weight station says gross vehicle weight less than 7.5to, so no overload  ☺️????

[Truckers threaten strike if diesel prices are not pegged]

Are the thai-truck drivers mostly self-employed  ie. do they buy or lease  their own trucks? Or are they more likely to be employed by transport / cargo companies?

 

[Poll: Naughty Walking Street R.I.P.?]

1 minute ago, Espanol said:

 

This doesn't look good:

 

"A new 2.9 billion baht mega project for Bali Hai Pier to include waterfront expansion and a terminal for cruise ships has already been sent to the EEC, whilst the adjoining Walking Street is planned to turn into landscaped gardens, department stores, classy restaurants and family entertainment venues. Pattaya Mayor Sonthaya Kunplome has confirmed his aim to turn Walking Street into a world-class for shopping, eating and nightlife."

 

 

Walking Street will probably be more a "family entertainment venue" with Cabarets and some Shows. The "fleshpot nightlife zone" will move (back) to Soi Buagkaow or "Third Road. "

[Immigration busts: Vietnamese, Indian and Chinese overstayers and Cambodians with fake stamps]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

In the third case Mr Vikesh from India was arrested. There had been complaints that he was a loan shark collecting interest of 2-3% a day from male and female traders at a fresh market in Muang district of Udon Thani. 

 

Immigration waited and sure enough Mr Vikesh arrived on his motorcycle and was arrested for being on overstay.

i wonder how easily one can become a loan shark or "work" as black bank or sell underground lottery? If you want to make cash, everybody has to fear you, you would have to be very scary and everybody should know your mafia-gang and remember some examples of your extrajudicial killings and torturing defaulting debtors, right?
Otherwise you only loose money and no one ever pays you the debt. I would love to be a loan shark, but I can't even get my money back that i borrowed with no interest to thai friends or neighbours...

[Thai govt proposes fines of 500,000 baht for posting photos of alcoholic drinks online]

Okay for me. I only drink alcohol at Go-Go-Bars and in Massage parlors. Not allowed to take pictures there anyway. ????????‍????

[Thailand to China high speed rail dreams get a step closer to reality - more committees set up]

7 hours ago, EricTh said:

Do you guys think that all the countries bordering China in SEA (Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand) might become provinces of China  someday?

maybe more like an urban quarter
>China could be a couple of connections away to Pattaya.
...or an Arondissement in Paris, where you can head to Pigalle (Entertainment district) by Metro

[Eight years and billions of baht later, World’s largest Parliament opens in Thailand amid controversy]

Reminds a bit of China. Or of Albert Speer.

[Thailand’s ‘Hi-So’ elite blamed for new Covid-19 cases forcing closure of nightspots]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

Customers have a drink outside a bar in Bangkok on March 12. Photo: Bloomberg

picture is showing a backpacker-LoSo environement in the middle of KhaoSarn-Road. Couldn't be more the opposite of Bangkok’s wealthy party scene and VIP-Clubs in ThongLor

[Most People Support Government’s Travel Incentive Measures]

Of course most people support "Government’s Travel Incentives", unfortunately domestic travel stimulus measures don't bring in any foreign money, so it's mostly taxpayers money "redistributed". Frei-bier today, pay tomorrow...

[Impacts of global economy, COVID-19 on Thailand]

>Various measures resulted in economic growth in 2019 (Thai economic >growth in 2019 Q1+2.8% Q2+2.3% Q3+2.4% Q4+1.6%),
 

Is that Propaganda or what? What about the numbers of 2020?

[GLO announces bounty to nail lottery price gougers]

1 hour ago, Burma Bill said:

Living out in the sticks, for me the better value was the illegal "village" lottery based on the winning numbers of the legal lottery. It offered "odds" on how much you paid, from 1 baht upwards (50 baht for me) per number selection. I have won two 30,000 baht "prizes" and several smaller, but substantial, amounts during my time and far more than I did on the legal lottery. In the village we could also bet on the Singapore lottery. 

have you really been paid off before? I always thought this black lottery was a complete scam. I can not imagine a "village-kingpin" handing out the lottery prize in cash to a farang.

[TAT: Foreign tourists to arrive from October - 10 million targeted for 2021, total tourism spend 1.2 TRILLION baht!]

16 hours ago, mr_lob said:

1 million baht per taxi ride, half a mil for a beer, 2 mil for a legover

Yup, i can see where he got the numbers from!

Laos? I think that would be the prices in Lao-Kip ☺️