perry21

Just back from a 1 week visit from BKK to Laos. Flew into Vientiane (Lao Air) and returned from Luang Prabang (Bangkok Air). My entry experience as per Hungdonger. V easy provided you have USD. I'm told they prefer/insist on brand new notes. Its a great time to visit since relatively quiet (few China tourists). A couple of observations from my visit. LP is much more interesting imo than Vientiane but it depends on what you like. V is a sleepy capital that has a certain charm but LP is a major tourist destination. Highlight for me in LP (among many) was the one day river trip organised by Manifa Travel (check out on google maps) - excellent in every respect. I took the new China-Laos high speed train from V to LP; 2 hours compared to 9-10h bus journey or a 1 hr flight. Great views of the landscape compared to the plane, and you can stop over in Van Viang, a sort of adrenalin activities place for backpackers. Getting ticket for the train is not straightforward and requires a separate thread due to the complexity. My hotel sorted everything but not all offer this service.

The key story here is the strong US$ which is rising against most currencies, except the Rouble. The Japanese Yen, Sterling, Euro and Yuan are all getting smashed down. The scale of these moves is rather dramatic because FX markets rarely move with this level of volatility. Macro experts sometimes call a strong dollar a global wrecking ball that causes chaos throughout the global economy. Imports of energy and commodities (denominated in $) rise for all importing countries (Thailand included) leading to higher inflation. Furthermore many asian/thai business have borrowed heavily in dollars and the nominal value of that debt rises when converted back in local currency (like a foreign currency mortgage) . Conversely Thailand becomes attractive as a lower cost destination for Americans. Swings and roundabouts but the macro picture is becoming extremely uncertain. As a British person, living in London, I note the concern about the Thai economy, Personally I am much more concerned about the winter situation in UK/Europe, and I see Thailand as a safe haven.

https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/downloads/2022/02feb/20220203-RESO-160B-RRD.pdf This appears to be the official set of rules for entry from 10 February. Straightforward. This link to the official Philippines Gazette came from the British Government website.