Bruce Mangosteen

IIRC they used to have a really nice barbecue buffet in the outdoor part of their restaurant, which was called something like "Captain's Table".

Seems to me that's the way the weed shops are going, little mom and pop stands now have to have a doctor on staff. Only the biggest ones will be able to accommodate that requirement, the rest will go tits up. https://www.nationthailand.com/news/policy/40051965 I'm afraid I don't share your faith in how much compassion the Thai elites have for the peasant class. It's a bit more than that if you go back and read the articles I linked.

Enforcement begins; authorities tip their hand to show the intended beneficiaries of killing app-based ride sharing apps: https://thethaiger.com/news/pattaya/rogue-app-drivers-face-tough-pattaya-clampdown Even the title of the article starts the big reveal, i.e. ride hailing app drivers, who were previously doing nothing wrong, are now "rogue", LOL. "On Monday, August 18 at 4.45pm, top brass gathered at Pattaya City Police Station’s Operations Centre for an urgent summit on transport reform. [...] They were joined by leaders of Pattaya’s three largest transport cooperatives: Thongchai Sukkhokjai of Pattaya Cooperative Transport, Supachai Phuengprapha of Bo Thong Taxi Cooperative, and Jarun Thongsri of Pattaya Dolphin Taxi Cooperative, alongside senior traffic police officers." This is like the FBI convening a meeting on bank safety, and inviting Al Capone, Bonnie and Clyde, and John Dillinger. The article rehashes the law that basically stigmatizes and discriminates against ride hailing app drivers, then reports that cops took to the streets: The Pattaya News reported that the sweep revealed multiple app-based drivers operating without proper registration as “electronic hire vehicles (R.Y. 18)” or lacking the required licences. Instead of immediate penalties, officers issued warnings, provided guidance, and urged drivers to register via the Department of Land Transport’s website. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand then the icing on the proverbial cake: Officials also promoted the future of eco-friendly travel. Electric taxis and baht buses from brands such as Toyota, DYD, MG, and AION were highlighted as safer, greener alternatives. And, in case they hadn't thrown the corruption in your face hard enough, the article ends thus: Police stressed that app-based drivers must comply quickly or face tougher action once the October deadline arrives. Cooperative leaders also called for unity in shaping a modern, lawful, and environmentally friendly transport system for Pattaya. BAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! They're not even trying to hide it. Even for Thailand, this is fookin blatant. "Bolt drivers are rogues, the taxi mafia is modern and lawful, and we're gonna force adoption of electric vehicles as taxis" so Somchai will soon be out of luck trying to earn a few extra baht with his 5 year old Yaris, and will need to sink a million baht into an electrical vehicle, license, insurance, etc. if he wants to keep taking fares. Because "unity". Sorry Somchai. Buh bye, Bolt.

Foodland?

Presumably you have to pay extra for that one.

Maybe? https://bolt.eu/en/airports/hkt/

You perhaps missed the more obvious one that involves beer that has been *ahem* run through a friend, so to speak.

Admittedly it's a mixed bag to say the least. They're pretty good (bad?) about bar closing times outside the entertainment zones, because those are easy, stationary targets, and neighbors complain, while the smoking in bars regs are ignored because cops actually have to go inside and collect evidence, and nobody really cares about it. The changes in cannabis regs may be an interesting case study. However, the extent that I agree with you is indicated by my statement that the random, opportunistic enforcement is the most likely result. This is most in keeping with how other similar regulations are enforced. I do think that enforcement around the airports will be more strict than elsewhere, given that airport transport seems to have been a particular flash point for taxi mafia protests and disputes.

I hadn't looked at the comments until your post. Seems to me that most of them have missed the point about the facial recognition, and all but one missed the point about cars having to be registered as public vehicles, and all of them appear to have missed that drivers will have to get public transport drivers' licences, at least as of this post. IMHO, these are the three main obstacles to the continuation of Bolt. Grab looks to have transitioned into mostly a food delivery service. I wouldn't be surprised if they transitioned their remaining taxi drivers into delivering other stuff like small electronics (e.g. from Tuc Com shops), (legal) pharmaceuticals from local mom-and-pop druggists, and other un(der)served market segments. As far as whether the new regs will be ignored, that's one of the three possibilities. The other two are: - They will be enforced vigorously due to pressure from the taxi mafia. This is not out of the question considering that the taxi mafia are probably the ones who had enough clout to get the regs passed in the first place. ...or... - They will be enforced inconsistently, such as when the opportunity for a bribe presents itself, or when a driver has an accident or other problem. The cynic in me would insist this is the most likely scenario.

https://aseannow.com/topic/1366270-thailand-tightens-grip-on-ride-hailing-with-tough-new-rules/ Had a minute waiting for the missus to get ready for the gym.

I haven't seen anything else in Thaiger, nor on the Pattaya Mail. Maybe they just wanted me to start this thread on here.

You're more familiar with your location than I am but I used to hang out in the Rompho Market bars quite often, and I don't remember too many baht buses in that area at night. That was some years back and things admittedly could have changed. Seems to me like the loss of Bolt will cause things to go back to how they were before Bolt: You collected the names and numbers of half a dozen baht bus drivers and guys like Mr. Dream, and if you needed to get somewhere you ran down that list of prospects until you got a ride. This is obviously not as convenient as an app with little cars running around on a map, but it mostly worked quite well. For backup there was always bike taxis, but these days I'd definitely wear some sort of do-rag on my head so as not to add to my head lice collection from those disgusting helmets they make you wear now.

In that location I think your only option without Bolt, at least at night, will be bike taxi. They'll be the big winners here either way, seems to me.

Yeah, it's possible they'll work out a compromise. Seems to me like a big bone of contention between taxis and ride hailing services is airport runs, so Bolt conceding those might be a way out of this.

IMO these changes are meant to put the ride hailing apps out of business, mate.

This is the thing that would give most farangs heartburn I would imagine. It's a backdoor way for the Thai government to track the movements of tourists.

The only thing about tuktuks that work like Bolt is that they have more than 2 wheels. Otherwise, in most places they're like tiny songtaews (baht buses) that only one or maybe two farangs can fit into at a time.

The tuktuks? No reason for Bolt to change anything until the rules come into effect I suppose. TIT, rules can change before the ink on the paper dries, as we've all seen before.

The Pattaya Mail chimes in on this question: https://www.pattayamail.com/travel/expat-dreams-shattered-in-thailand-cockup-conspiracy-or-just-plain-nonsense-509021 Benjamin Hart, the irrepressible founder of Bangkok-based Integrity Legal and a Thai national, has recently done a good hatchet job on much of the hostile click-bait material in his video: Debunking Thai Secret Plan Against Expats. He acknowledges that expat life for farang has gotten more difficult in recent years – you no longer see the term “paradise” applied to western life here – but denies there’s a conspiracy to doom we westerners. Pattaya Mail comments below on some of the doubtful claims made by Hart’s opponents. More at link, if you're interested in Barry Kenyon's take on the matter. Perhaps confusingly, Benjamin Hart's opinion is not included, and there isn't even a link to his video. Your humble servant has looked that up:

Maybe they'll replace it with tuktuks?

https://thethaiger.com/news/national/new-regulations-for-ride-hailing-services-in-thailand-announced Firstly, businesses must ensure drivers have vehicles registered as public transport, under the Department of Land Transport’s requirements. Secondly, drivers must hold a valid public transport driving licence. Thirdly, service charges must align with legal transport fee regulations. Additionally, digital platforms must adhere to conditions outlined in articles 9 to 13 of the announcement. The ETDA further specifies that drivers using these platforms must register their vehicles via electronic systems and hold a public driving licence. Identity verification using facial recognition is required daily before starting work. GPS location sharing is mandatory in real-time, and communication with customers must be conducted through the app only, without disclosing phone numbers. Users of ride-hailing apps must verify their identity before use, choose vehicle types, view estimated costs, and can cancel or change destinations under specific conditions. They can also rate and file complaints against drivers. Platforms must report vehicle numbers of each type to the Department of Land Transport annually, charge fares according to the law, and provide key information such as driver details, registration, price, and route before the journey, reported KhaoSod. Emphasis added. More at link. YGBFKM. Clearly, the traditional taxi drivers have finally won this turf war. On the bright side, there will be a million food delivery drivers added to the already overcrowded market, driving down the price of that service.

One of the root causes of the problem is the US taxing worldwide income. We're one of only a few countries that does that. The law mandating that, FATCA, requires foreign banks and other entities to report on financial activities of Americans who hold accounts in foreign countries. This required activity makes these accounts far less profitable, to the point where they can be more trouble than they're worth. Sadly, other countries are warming to this idea. Here's an article on this, although from a few years ago: https://taxjustice.net/2019/06/21/statistics-on-automatic-exchange-of-banking-information-and-the-right-to-hold-authorities-and-banks-to-account/ Thailand has also been cracking down on actual criminal activity, especially money laundering, call center scams, and human trafficking. Part of how they do this is surveillance of financial activity, which again can cause accounts held by foreigners to be more costly to maintain.

I'm generally skeptical of these claims based on my experience. The comments on the page seem to support my view. IMO a lot of this is due to rules in expats' home countries, especially countries asking Thai banks to report activity in expats' bank accounts. Accounts for farangs can become more trouble than they're worth. Seems to me that the Thais have a right to decide who can enter and remain in their country. Why should they be forced or shamed into allowing criminals and indigents in? Insurance destroys health care. Thailand is only the latest test case for this never-miss principle. However, if westerners had been content to use the prevailing Thai health care system, it wouldn't have become an issue. Of course, rural Thai hospitals tend to look like something out of a slasher movie... See "Digital Bureaucracy Trap". Farangs' frozen pensions are hardly Thailand's fault, and the exchange rates have been fairly stable over the past 10 years, moving in a range of about 8 baht in that time. Expecting them to stay where they were immediately after the crash is stupid. Most western countries have reciprocal taxation agreements with Thailand, and we don't know what the new rules will end up being, so this fearmongering is at best premature. My friend google knows nothing of this. However, he did mention something about Vietnam considering such a system, and they're actually communist, so I see that as more likely. Also see "Digital Bureaucracy Trap".

Nice find, thanks!

Very cool pic.