Burma Bill

With respect, not strictly true. As a retiree on a 1 year retirement visa, I was invited to join the Thai Tourist Police as a volunteer, a job I did for 9 years. I did not need a work pemit as this was waived by the relevent government employment agency. Eventually I received a small wage which was agreed by TP HQ in Bangkok - 100 baht per call out. This was pre-covid and before I moved to Cambodia.

Sorry you had to pay for a wheelchair. I recently made 2 international "Fly-Thru" flights with Thai Air Asia from Siem Reap to Chiang Mai via DMK. I did not have to pay for a wheelchair - one was provided free for each leg of my journey. You cannot book a wheelchair with Thai Air Asia, you have to tick the "unable to walk long distance" box when booking on-line. When checking in, then you will be asked if a wheelchair is needed. An excellent sevice with caring ground crew who pushed the wheelchair. Thanks Thai Air Asia.

With respect, Thaksin was PM of a truly elected government. He was stitched up by the Bangkok "yellow" establishment who hated him.

Yes indeed, spying on your neighbour is one of the Tatmadaws evil methods However, swift retribution is handed out when these spy agents are identified Six people including a child were killed by a local resistance force in the town of Saw in central Myanmar’s Magway Region on Sunday night, relatives and locals told Myanmar Now. A group of at least 13 gunmen arrived at the house of 60-year-old Khin Maung Lin, the accused junta informant, at around 8pm. https://myanmar-now.org/en/news/alleged-junta-informant-killed-alongside-family/

I used to live near Chum Phae which has other "J Arthur's" who are not necessarily Thai. (ex pat bars pre-covid)

UK nursery rhyme (wikipedia)

Regarding landmines, the UNESCO site of Preah Vihear is now clear of such devastating weaponry. However, it would be very unwise to try and trek through the mountainside forests from the Thai side of the border - keep to the stone steps. This area of Northern Cambodia became the last stronghold of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge. Now a very popular tourist attraction with tours from Siem Reap.

Poipet in Cambodia, across from Aranyaphrathet in Thailand, is very popular with Thais and other international gamblers who pack the resorts and casinos, especially at weekends. There are no casinos near Preah Vihear, however westwards along the same mountain ridge at the Chong Sangam (Sisaket, Thailand) Choam (Cambodia) border crossing is the mountain top, luxurious Sangam Resort and Casino in Cambodia, again very popular with Thais and foreigners especially from the Surin/Sisaket and Ubon regions. Surprisingly, it is Khmer owned, not Chinese (as I have reliably been informed).

Thailand’s Kantharalak district to reopen Preah Vihear temple after 16 years A very misleading headline. Preah Vihear temple, a UNESCO and major tourist site, has always been open as it is wholly within a mountainous area of Cambodia. As you can see in the photo, from the Thai side a pair of closed rusty barbed wire covered gates will, I presume, be opened to provide foot passage to the stone steps ascending to the temple. There is no road access from Thailand, just the steps - it is so mountainous. From the Cambodian side, a steep winding road has to be negotiated. You have to park at "base camp" and change to 4WDs driven by trained locals to the temple car park area above. No such chance for cross-border trade and traffic - impossible when I visited pre-covid.

Thanks Sheryl and yes, as I experienced at Aranyaphratet. I had taken my normal dose of insulin at breakfast, then no food/drink at Immigration, other than the chocolate bar from a kind tourist. This life threatening risk is the reason why I have never been able to get Life/Medical/Health/Covid insurance, only Accident insurance with Bangkok Bank when I lived in Thailand.

You have my sincere sympathy as I am a type 2 insulin dependent diabetic. Since being diagnosed 30 years ago, only once have I gone HYPO, and it was a very frightening and upsetting experience. Pre-covid, I was returning to Thailand from a holiday in Siem Reap. I found myself in a massive queue at Aranyaphratet Immigration having crossed from Poipet. After 2 hours in the queue (with another 2 hours still to wait) I started to develope the same symptoms as described by your goodself. I collapsed onto the floor and people came to my aid. Fortunately I did not pass out and was able to state "diabetic - sugar needed". A very kind lady gave me a thick chocolate bar. Thai Immigration itself sent a medic who provided a bottle of drinking water and escorted me to a wheelchair. I eventually regained my normal composure and was processed through immigration much earlier than expected. I had my usual insulin injection earlier that morning but did not expect such a long wait - my mistake! Please note their are NO drinks/food facilities upstairs in Aranyaphratet Immigration - not even a cold water dispenser for people waiting in such long queues. Now I carry a can of COKE with me when travelling.

What a muppet!

In case you are wondering what they could be used for (ref. Google) Through their diet primarily on rodents the Indochinese rat snake is natural pest control, regulating rodent, frog and lizard populations as well as providing food for birds of prey and larger snakes. Due to it's size the rat snake is a food source for locals in the countries they are present. They were regular visitors to my garden in the mountains near Phayao, where I had a large rice storage shed that attracted mice and rats. They are NOT venomous and will not harm you. Leave them be and let them go on their way, as I did.

Not necessary in Chiang Mai - "home territory". One of the family businesses: Welcome home Sir!

for exmple THAI which needs the cash to repay debts and purchase new planes?

So did I when I lived in Thailand. Having lived 14 years in Lanna, I moved across to Isaan (rural Khon Kaen Province) for a further 6 years of happiness. Many happy memories and a great bunch of multi-national ex-pats! Several of us were volunteers with the Tourist Police attending local festivals.

Who Is Really in Charge In Thailand? The multibillionaire Thai business "establishment" families?

Where is Thailand? Between Burma in the west/north west, Laos in the north, Cambodia in the east and Malaysia in the south😊!

For reference, I always request a wheelchair when booking flights with Air Asia. When completing the on-line booking form, I tick the box for "unable to walk long distances" - it does not specifically say "wheelchair". When I present the booking confirmation at the check-in desk, I am asked if a wheelchair is required. I say "yes" and the letters "WCH" are printed on my boarding passes for "Fly-Thru" flights. Wherever I have to board or alight a plane, a wheelchair is always waiting - great service! As for medical certificates, IMO these would be pointless as they can so easily be forged for around 100 baht in this part of the world, as I found out many years ago when applying for a Thai Driving Licence. I no longer drive.

A great idea RTP and Immigration, especially those ignorant, abusive, rude and violent ones who cause grief to the local Thai people and other foreigners - arrest and deport them!!

Chinese tourist killed by a pickup truck on his first day in Thailand This sad accident will not go down well with the Chinese media. So much for TAT's "safe and trusted" Thailand (especially for the Chinese to encourage them in their millions!)

Thanks, and an interesting observation. My encounter with physically fit people was recently experienced at Bangkok DMK. Having been pushed in a wheelchair to the departure gate for my flight (full) to Chiang Mai, my chair operator could not find one of the seats in front of the check-in desk "reserved for monks, disabled people and pregnant ladies" because they were all occupied by physically fit passengers with their hand baggage and shopping. Despite the blue and white wheelchair sign painted on the ground alongside these special rows, no one would move. However, no problem as the chair operator found me a seat elsewhere and informed Air Asia's check-in staff who came and assisted me, letting me board the plane first. So many ignorant people around these days!

I appreciate this article refers to Thai Viet Jet, however I recently made a return flight between Siem Reap and Chiang Mai with Thai Air Asia "Fly-Thru". Being 80 with mobility problems, when booking my ticket on-line, I ticked the "unable to walk long distance" box so that a wheelchair would be provided at SAI, DMK and CNX. This was the case and an excellent free service with no hassle from the airline. This also included the use of the chair lift at DMK to descend to the ground floor departure gates and assistance to board the bus and aircraft by Ground Staff. The wheelchair lads and lasses did receive a tip from me for their caring service. Having flown Viet Jet within Vietnam, I am convinced the airline would do its best to accomodate disabled passengers - more to this story??

From the Stone Age??? Another report from The Thaiger!

For reference: The immigration controller issued a notice to the tourism ministry asking Russian and Ukrainian people staying on extended tourist visas to leave Sri Lanka within two weeks from 23 February.........the ministry has been receiving complaints of some Russian tourists running unregistered and illegal businesses in the southern part of the country......a furious social media backlash over Russian-run businesses with a “whites only” policy that strictly bars locals. These businesses include bars, restaurants, water sports and vehicle hiring services. https://www.independent.co.uk/asia/south-asia/sri-lanka-russia-tourist-visa-ukraine-war-b2504466.html Will Phuket and Pattaya soon become Special Russian Economic Zones like the Chinese one in Sihanoukville???