It seems like everything in this world is getting more expensive, except taxis in Bangkok. Today I took a classic cab instead of a Grab from DMK airport. The meter started at 35 THB, just like it did fifteen years ago, and ended at 273 when we reached my hotel in lower Sukhumvit, just like it did fifteen years ago.

How do these poor bastards live??

Do they even want anyone to come here?

https://www.thaienquirer.com/75105/opinon-thailands-proposed-travel-charges-overlook-people-who-call-it-home/

With additional charges at airports, constantly changing visa requirements leading to uncertainty, increasing problems opening and operating bank accounts, inordinately long queues at immigration, and other restrictions creeping into expat and tourist life here in Thailand, you are left to wonder if the Thai government even wants us here anymore. Thoughts?

I have a Thai wife and we live together in England, been married for 14 years. I want to finally open a Thai bank account in my own name.
Has anyone opened an account recently in the Khon Khaen area? Family live near Ban Thaen and we are visiting for a month or so in a couple of weeks.
Ideally I’d get a K-bank and Bangkok bank account, I have a non-immigrant O visa for this trip.
Any suggestions on a bank branch where they are amenable to opening accounts for foreigners?
Or should we take a trip to Bangkok or Pattaya?

Kinokuniya, prime comic.. they are attending a book fair but I can’t go to it so I’ll have to go there when they open their actual store again

Hello everyone, I'm thinking about studying abroad at Thammasat for my Fall 2027 semester. I'll most likely be studying at the business school on the Tha Prachan campus. I would love to hear about others experiences at Thammasat. This will be my first time ever traveling and it'll most likely be a solo one too. I would love to know all the tips or recommendations if you guys have any! Also where do you guys recommended to live?

It's a bit last minute but I have 1 ticket for sale for tomorrow at Emsphere.

Zone: Black hole seat, Section C1, Seat AH-23. Starts at 7pm. Seat is next to me. Looking for 2500 OBO (3200 normally). DM me if you're interested or have any questions.

https://www.eventpop.me/e/162454/interstellar-live-concert-th

I have a commander cube of 30 decks and want to bring it to my place in thailand. Read that a gambling law might make it illegal? Im unsure if its specific to playing cards like blackjack, or if it extends to collections like Magic the Gathering or Pokémon cards. If anyone has any specific clarification or experience and want to enlighten me a bit I'd appreciate it. I did ask Google ai but it left me unsure.

I've lived in Southeast Asia for the past 6 years (Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh City), and I genuinely love it here.

But as an entrepreneur thinking about the next 25+ years, I'm starting to question whether SEA is actually the best place to build my long-term future and wealth.

A little background:

• I've built and successfully sold an e-commerce business.
• I'm planning my next business ventures (e-commerce) and want to invest in real estate for retirement.
• I'm at a stage where choosing the right country to settle in matters more than ever.
• I'm increasingly considering Latin America, particularly Brazil.

My biggest concern with SEA is its "anti-foreigner laws."

Despite loving the lifestyle, I find it difficult to justify building my entire financial future somewhere with significant restrictions on foreign ownership.

These include:

• Restrictions on owning land.
• Restrictions on owning houses.
• Restrictions on foreign business ownership.
• No/limited legal rights and protections for foreigners.
• Restrictions on mortgages and loans.

These aren't necessarily dealbreakers when you're young and primarily focused on lifestyle. But when you're thinking about retirement, real estate, business ownership, and long-term financial security, they become much more important.

Here's how I'm currently comparing the two regions:

Southeast Asia

Pros:

• Proximity to the world's manufacturing regions.
• Excellent lifestyle, quality of life, and cost of living.
• Respectful social environment.
• Low crime.
• Strong entrepreneurial and work-oriented culture.

Cons:

• Anti-foreigner laws regarding land, property, and business ownership.
• Limited or complicated paths to permanent residence.
• Difficult access to mortgages and loans.
• Uncertainty about building long-term wealth.

Latin America (especially Brazil)

Pros:

• Foreigners can own land and houses.
• Foreigners can own businesses.
• Clear paths to permanent residency.
• (Potentially?) Better opportunities for building long-term wealth through locally owned assets.
• Similarly, attractive lifestyle, climate, and cost of living.

Cons:

• Much farther from Asia's manufacturing hubs.
• Security and crime concerns in certain cities and regions.
• I'm not sure if LATAM's economies are "thriving" like SEA?
• I'm not sure whether the lifestyle would match what I've enjoyed in SEA, or that it would be a downgrade.

The biggest question for me is whether proximity to manufacturers actually matters as much as I think it does.

I previously operated a successful e-commerce business without ever visiting my manufacturers in person. Samples and products can be shipped internationally, and much of the business can be managed remotely.

So am I overestimating the advantage of living close to Asian manufacturers?

On the other hand, am I overestimating how much easier it would be to build long-term wealth in Brazil simply because foreigners have more opportunities?

I'd especially love to hear from entrepreneurs and business owners who have experience in both regions:

1. Has living near Asian manufacturers actually given your business a meaningful advantage?
2. Is Brazil genuinely a better place for foreign entrepreneurs and to build wealth as a foreigner?
3. Can Brazil offer a lifestyle comparable to Bangkok or HCMC, assuming you choose the right city?
4. If you were choosing a permanent base today, which region would you pick, and why?

I'm currently leaning toward Brazil, but I'm aware I might be focusing too heavily on LATAM's advantages while underestimating its disadvantages.

I'm not looking for another "SEA is amazing" or "LATAM is amazing" discussion. I'm trying to understand which region makes more practical sense for an entrepreneur who wants to build an e-commerce business, own assets, and settle down for the next 25+ years.

Would really appreciate hearing from people who've faced a similar decision or actually built a long-term life and business in either region.

Thank you!

hello everyone!

First of all, I'm a Thai person currently living in Bangkok, but I was born and raised in another country, so I'm not that fluent in Thai (I can speak at a conversational level). I also recently finished high school and am taking a gap year. I'm planning to work during my gap year, so are there any jobs that don't require me to speak Thai?

treat me like i'm a foreigner who can't speak Thai and looking for a job lol..

Hi, working on my designs for the home I want to build in Thailand (one day).

Anyone know the standard distance between the upright stilts, and maximum span across a room for a two-storey house ?

In August 2026 I went to Thailand with my gf and we witnessed at Samui Central night market a live performance of this Thai duo that we loved !!! But unfortunately we forgot to ask their contact as we needed to leave in hurry.

We are getting married in Samui in Feb 2027 and we would have them perform at our wedding as we love their energy and the lovely memory they give us.

Please if anyone has heard of them or has their contact, maybe they use to perform in Samui ?

Here’s some moments of their performance:

https://youtube.com/shorts/x40mY6WAMsU?is=vm9DmXC7-ZOmF59R

There are a lot of Halloween events for adults this weekend, but many of the events for kids are not accessible by the public (inside schools, etc...). So visitors or newcomers may not know where to take their family trick-or-treating this Saturday.

If you know about an open trick-or-treat event, please post it below so others can join in.

I’m planning to transfer some money from Kasikorn bank to my UK bank account via the K PLUS app today. Has anyone used this service recently, and roughly how long did it take to arrive? Just trying to work out whether there’s a chance it’ll arrive before the weekend. Thanks!

Telegraphic message dated 23 June 1979 from the Chairman of the State Presidium of Democratic Kampuchea addressed to the Secretary-General

I have the honour to forward this message to you in order to draw your attention to two problems on which world opinion is still uninformed, because they are kept hidden by the Hanoi authorities. Yet these cases are quite as distressing and tragic as that of refugees, if not more so, since they concern the fate of hundreds of thousands and millions of inhabitants of Kampuchea, now undergoing immeasurable sufferings and misfortunes under the demoniacal yoke of the Vietnamese aggressors.

1. The problem of the Kampuchean nationals fleeing Vietnamese massacres who seek temporary refuge in Thailand.

This problem has arisen from the war of aggression being waged by the Hanoi authorities, who are sowing devastation and ruin in Kampuchea and subjecting the Kampuchean people to veritable genocide. This war is causing the Thai Government many difficulties while constituting a serious threat to the defence, security, economy and entire society of Thailand.

Despite the tremendous difficulties resulting from the barbarous war of aggression of the Hanoi authorities, the Government of Democratic Kampuchea has joined its efforts with those of the Thai Government in seeking ad hoc solutions to this problem. It has accordingly taken back all these Kampuchean refugees, allowing them to re-enter the country in batches of tens of thousands and applying ad hoc solutions with regard to their living and working conditions. However, all our successive efforts to arrive at a final solution of the problem of Kampuchean refugees have proved incapable of succeeding because they have been thwarted every time by the attacks and the sweep operations which the Vietnamese forces of aggression are constantly launching against the civilian population. In order to escape a massacre, the latter are forced once again to seek temporary refuge in Thailand.

The lot of all these refugees is particularly tragic. It is even more so than that of other refugees, since all these innocent people are direct victims of the war of devastation and of the genocide perpetrated by the Vietnamese aggressors. Wherever they go, the latter engage in massacres and acts of banditry, destroying and looting everything crops, rice, livestock and homes. Those refugees who were able to escape a massacre the first time have to flee from the Vietnamese troops again, in fact repeatedly, never seeing an end to it. And each time all families, without exception, suffer severely either through separation or loss or from the machine-gunning, heavy bombing and artillery barrages laid down by the Vietnamese forces of aggression against villages, roads or forests. Even old people, children and pregnant women do not escape these massacres. This is something which should stagger the conscience of mankind.

1. The problem of the Vietnamese nationals whom the Hanoi authorities are bringing from their own country in order to settle them in Kampuchean territory in place of the indigenous populations previously wiped out under their policy of exterminating the Kampuchean race.

The purpose of the Hanoi authorities in behaving in this way is to complete their policy of settling nothing but Vietnamese throughout the territory of Kampuchea. The Kampuchean people are thus in mortal danger from the Hanoi authorities, who are now carrying out a policy of systematic extermination against the Kampuchean race and endeavouring to erase Kampuchea from the map of the world.

The Hanoi authorities have been bold enough to deport hundreds of thousands of their fellow-countrymen onto the high seas, before the eyes of the whole world. Why then should they hesitate to subject the Kampuchean people to genocide or to wipe out the Kampuchean race without any awareness on the part of world opinion?

Accordingly, towards the end of May 1979, the Hanoi authorities settled nearly 200,000 Vietnamese nationals in Kampuchean territory, distributing them throughout the coastal and eastern provinces. And now, while continuing the genocide against the Kampuchean people, forcing them to leave their country, the Hanoi authorities are bringing in Vietnamese nationals and systematically settling them in Kampuchean territory.

Here, then, is another aspect of the Hanoi authorities' policy of exporting refugees of which world opinion is still unaware. But this policy is even more barbarous and even more staggering to the conscience of mankind than that practised towards other refugees, because it is a most cruel and most savage act of aggression for which the Vietnamese forces of aggression constitute the spearhead, burning everything, destroying everything, subjecting the people of Kampuchea to veritable genocide and settling Vietnamese nationals in Kampuchean territory. is an act without precedent in human history. The Hanoi authorities are swallowing up Kampuchea and wiping out the Kampuchean race by subjecting the Kampuchean people to veritable genocide, unknown to the entire world. This is something that is not only tragic but also shocking to the conscience of all mankind. It

We should be grateful if you would submit the two problems described above for discussion at the next international conference on refugees with a view to finding a timely and appropriate solution, in the name of the Charter of the United Nations, of international law, of humanity, of justice and of all mankind.

The Government of Democratic Kampuchea is sure that you will give your full attention to the two problems mentioned above and will make suitable approaches in accordance with the aspirations of the Kampuchean people. We also hope that you will use all your authority to induce the conference on refugees to demand that the Hanoi authorities end their policy of exporting Vietnamese nationals to Kampuchean territory, desist from all acts of genocide against the Kampuchean people, withdraw all their forces of aggression from Kampuchea and leave the Kampuchean people to settle their own problems for themselves without outside interference, so as to put an end to the suffering and devastation which the Kampuchean people are now undergoing.

KHIEU SAMPHAN

Chairman of the State Presidium of Democratic Kampuchea

Letter dated 25 June 1979 from the Chargé d'affaires a.i. of the Permanent Mission of Democratic Kampuchea to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General.

Help the people of thailand with the floods. Hope it ends soon and everyone is safe.

I'm on a DTV and my current stamp says I have to leave by Oct 29. But I'm leaving Thailand for a long time on Nov 5 anyway.

Options as I see them:

- Fly out and back for the border run: ~8-9k baht

- Overstay and pay at the airport: 500 baht/day, so ~3,500 if I leave on the 4th or 5th

- Extension at immigration: needs the full DTV document package again, and I've heard they can cancel the visa if they don't like the docs. Not keen.

My main worry is coming back later. Has anyone here had a short paid overstay on a DTV and then re-entered without issues? Did immigration ask about it, or is a one-off week basically a non-event?

Also open to cheap land border run tips from Pattaya if that's the smarter move.

Do Thais not have an equivalent of 'good morning'? Seems like they just wake up and ask if you ate already? No good morning, no 'how did you sleep', nothing. Not even hello or hi. Just what are you craving? I'm cooking xyz. Smells delicious.

i'm doing an independent research on how people work remotely in bangkok and i'm hoping to find people to answer my quick 4-5 minute survey

it's purely for research, no sales or promotions. and I won't be collecting your information... BUT you can opt-in to be contacted for a follow-up interview IF you are okay with that - completely optional!

here's the link to the survey - i hope this doesn't get removed by mods 😭 (i read the rules and checked post history, and this seems to be allowed - so hopefully that's ok!)

SO if you work remotely in bangkok - either fully or hybrid - i'd be so so so grateful if you can help me out pls! tysm

I need to sell my Samsung Galaxy 24 FE. I'm in Bangkok. Any recommendations for where I can go?

I've had to abandon several packages with this scam over the last few years. Once for a plastic model kit from Ebay with FedEx, another for a ChoroQ pullback toy car from Ebay FedEx, and recently a Monster Jam toy truck from Amazon.com where I prepaid import tax. All the orders from Amazon shipped with SF arrived no problem. With UPS shipped from Amazon the TISI flags the item as restricted and assumes I am a business even though it is a single item going to my name. All of these products are safe and commonly sold in Thailand by real businesses. When other shippers like EMS, SF, and government mail are used it has never been a issue. I just pay import tax and get the package. UPS and FedEx want to charge fees to warehouse, document process, and broker the import clearance. I can't remember if DHL tries this scam. If you are trying to ship to Thailand you need to use regular government post, EMS, or SF or they may to to scam you when the package is returned. Unfortunately as an individual customer I often don't know what shipper will be used before ordering. I've never heard a Thai person complain of this scam so it might be a racist thing where any foreign name is flagged as a rich person to scam. How many thousand or millions of people have dealt with this over the years? It's obvious there is corruption by the TISI FedEx and UPS essentially stealing people's mail knowing no individual will pay thousands of baht to broker importing a single cheap product already sold in the country. Web search says model cars are exempt from TISI restrictions but 3 times now I had to abandon my model cars. I hope some global news does a report on this. This probably happens in every country since most are run by corruption and UPS FedEx are everywhere. Below is what UPS emailed me.

" Importing products into Thailand that are controlled under Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI) regulations requires the importer to obtain the necessary import release permit. The permit must then be submitted to the Customs Officer for consideration and customs clearance of the goods.

Guidelines for importing TISI-controlled products into Thailand for personal use can be found at:

https://www3.tisi.go.th/hscode/hscode_view.asp?id=141 [tisi.go.th]

If you would like UPS to handle the import customs clearance on your behalf, you must first register yourself as an importer and appoint UPS as your customs broker with the Thai Customs Department. Once this process is completed, UPS will be authorized to proceed with customs clearance in your name.

Please select an option that is most convenient for you below;

Option 1 An alternated broker. You can find an alternate broker by google website (Keyword : Shipping at Suvarnabhumi Airport)

Option 2 Reject this parcel to abandon by Thai Customs. (Thai Customs not allow to return package to sender, so they will abandon this shipment only)

*Please use 'Reply All'

If no response is received from the customer within 3 days, we will contact the sender in accordance with our company policies.

Please be advised that if the shipment requires an import permit, it cannot be returned to the sender and must be surrendered to Thai Customs. In such cases, a processing fee of 16,050 THB will be billed back to the sender.

The governors of Chon Buri and Rayong were out patrolling for pirates when they found him on the island of Koh Krabue. He told them he was the grandson of the King of Vietnam, and that his country had fallen to the enemy.

They told him to come to Bangkok. He was scared: his uncle had once fled to Siam and been put to death there. The governors reassured him: "The reign has changed. His present Majesty is deeply compassionate."

So he came, and Rama I took him in. Land for his family, a yearly allowance, a sword with gold bands, and a seat at court every day. He would arrive in a six-oared Vietnamese boat, a servant holding an umbrella over him, and sit cross-legged "in the Vietnamese manner" in the audience hall.

To thank the king, he trained Vietnamese acrobats and lion dances that chased a glass ball, and offered them to the court. They were performed at every royal festival, and the chronicle says it became a custom "that continues to this day."

Twenty years later he had won his war and become Emperor Gia Long. In 1803 his envoys brought gold, silver and silk to Bangkok. The chronicle says Siam's guns and gunpowder "had given him the strength to bring his war to a successful end."

He didn't forget the man who had first brought him to Bangkok either: the governor of Chon Buri, whose foster son he had become. When that governor later came to the Vietnamese capital as an envoy, he wasn't put in the usual guest house but in a brick building of his own, and every Vietnamese embassy after that brought him a gift.

From my published English translation of the Royal Chronicle of the First Reign (reign of King Rama I).