Jump to content
Displayed prices are for multiple nights. Check the site for price per night. I see hostels starting at 200b/day and hotels from 500b/day on agoda.

teelack

Participant
  • Content Count

    12,605
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    350

Everything posted by teelack

  1. I was reading this morning that Thai Air is badly in need of increased revenue. It is losing billions ( this year expecting 11 billion) each year and I suppose that the fall off in Euro travellers may be biting as well. The reason that I am losing faith in them is that the pricing is all over the place and can vary for me by NZ$600 or so from Auckland to Bangkok return. That's in the region of 12000 baht. Today's announcement was also a pisser in that they are starting to charge between 480 and 3195 baht if you want a "Preferred" seat at the front row or beside the emergency exit. I realise th
  2. In fairness I don't know that your Smart Gate experience is typical. Like I said, for me it is less than a minute and never yet had a queue. I have no idea what the future of Thailand airports will be and I have just read a rant (on Thai Visa I think) saying that around noon it is a nightmare. I can only judge as I find and if a backwater like New Zealand can have state of the art immigration I am sure that Thailand can as well. Things that could be dumped? Perhaps the photos can be taken automatically? I really don't know as I have no experience in the area. Surely there are some airport geek
  3. Because in future I would see it cutting down on some steps.Sorry to hark back to the Smart Gate system but now there is no queue, no stamps and its all handled by a machine that's not having a bad day, due her period or going through the menopause. Like it or not the gradual computerisation and AI is displacing people for technology. There would be no reason to spend hundreds of millions of baht on a system that has no advantages or long term savings.
  4. Why do you think this? I have yet to read that it is problem! Sure, initial input is perhaps 2 minutes but I am sure that the end result will be a speed up of the immigration process. Sent from my Nokia 6.1 using Tapatalk
  5. Just read this on Pattaya News. Thailand’s tourism minister has blamed a surge in the baht for sapping tourist arrivals into Southeast Asia’s second-largest economy and says he’ll take up the matter with the central bank, highlighting rising concern over the currency’s gains. Arrivals have dropped because of the baht’s strength, Piphat Ratchakitprakarn, minister of tourism and sports, told reporters in Bangkok after he officially began his new role. Piphat said he’ll discuss with the Bank of Thailand and the finance minister what can be done to help support the industry. “The s
  6. Surely the simple answer is supply and demand? There is more demand for instance for the Thai baht that many other currencies. It may not appear rational but it is the same principle as "Voting with your feet" in that you put your money into places that you like and withdraw it from places that you don't. Financiers are not sentimental so perhaps we need to believe that there are good reasons despite what seems apparent. Sent from my Nokia 6.1 using Tapatalk
  7. I hope that Pattaya news will forgive me for lifting this story. Pattaya. Nikkei Asian Review released an article this week in which they stated that the head of the cities Business and Tourism Association has forecast a total of 19 million visitors to the city this year, a 5% total increase, which is nearly half of the total predicted 40 million visitors. Significant work is being done to draw Indian, Muslim and Chinese tourists to the city as a quick walk down Walking Street will show any visitor. CP, a $63 billion food and retail group, intends to reshape the flows of p
  8. As a side comment. For whatever reason the price of avocado's went crazy here a couple of months ago. We grow them locally but first class was as high as $10 each, approx 200 baht. Now down to a quarter of that but beware of the Chinese middle classes who are flexing their economic muscles. Sent from my Nokia 6.1 using Tapatalk
  9. For more years than I can recall my "In my head" conversion rate was 25 baht to the $NZ . I see that it's now 20.34. The only thing that I have in my favour is that at my age I don't care! Sent from my Nokia 6.1 using Tapatalk
  10. My sincere thanks for taking the time and trouble to post this photo. Very valuable to us not in Thailand and outside of the top world currencies.
  11. Like you I have only transferred money once. Before my sending bank gave me a crap rate and charges and then Kasikorn slugged me again I chose not to bother again. Sent from my Nokia 6.1 using Tapatalk
  12. Good post. If I see a new post on the topic I look at it. My only concern is that I am aware of what TT is offering so that I can check it against my local banks. Okay, I buy little at home but a few thousand baht in my pocket for cabs and emergencies is a must. God forbid that I ever buy one sodding baht at an airport exchange. Thanks to those who post photos of the rates and don't forget we others out here looking for the information. Sent from my Nokia 6.1 using Tapatalk
  13. While I appreciate the reasoning I was turned off by the guys pissed off response. If he was going to respond like that I wasn't interested in staying there.
  14. They have boards outside the hotel on both Soi 15 and Soi Diana with this offer. I would think that if you are interested that an email to the hotel reminding them of this deal might pay dividends. I haven't bothered checking the internet rates and they may be different. As a matter of interest these signs and that pricing have been there for possible the last three years and was certainly there two weeks ago.
  15. Thanks for the updates as always. Starts my day with a "Oh My". Sent from my Nokia 6.1 using Tapatalk
  16. The other thing that I think is notable in Thailand at the moment is this. In years past the malls and clubs were full of a great range of European, American and Australasian punters. These have been exchanged for Indian, Korean, Chinese and some Russians. Some have not got the money and others come from places where prices for supermarket and mall products are as cheap or cheaper. This seems to me to be the crux of the problem. Exchanging good tourists (for the economy) for bad. The only place that I see many of them buy anything is the 7/11. I also believe that many of the Indian tourists ar
  17. Yes I can see that conversation taking place. Just as real will be the girls who simply cannot make a living. They have the choice to go freelance, and this is already happening.. The other is to pack up and go home. The other thing that hit me this month in Pattaya is that the large shopping malls must also be doing a freeze. Perhaps the powers that be will take more notice of the big money guys than the entertainment industry. Whatever else, there needs to be some radical changes if the tourist industry is to survive. Sent from my Nokia 6.1 using Tapatalk
  18. I was in Pattaya and fancied a change of accommodation. I found a place that suited me on one of the booking sites and the price was on budget. I then emailed the Canadian owner and asked him about actually pricing as his web site was dearer than the booking agent. He insisted that if I wanted the lowest price that I use Agoda and he was not lowering the price. It was more his attitude rather than the pricing issue but I never did go there. Sent from my Nokia 6.1 using Tapatalk
  19. Not really sure whether to say thanks or not for the replies. My only issue is will eating yak testes and dear penises make me queer?
  20. I recently became the proud owner of a few boxes of Black Ant pills. I see these on sale all over Pattaya but it is years since I have tried them as they didn't do much for me. I haven't tried this latest lot and wonder if I could get some advice. I have done some reading on Google but its all a bit confusing. I also get the feeling that the formula may have changed and the active ingredient for Viagra etc, may now be included. Anyone here want to offer reviews of the product please?
  21. On the subject of joiner fees. I stayed in Bangla Road, Phuket ( Baan Sukhotai) and as was signing in at reception they told me to sign a document stating that I would pay 1000 baht joiner fee. I really had no option and security was tough. It was a major learning experience for me but I console myself with the fact that I will hopefully never pay another JF in Thailand. Sent from my Nokia 6.1 using Tapatalk
  22. Great post and brings up the question. Its not the 'Tipping Point" rather than when are you going to change your spending habits and can you handle a holiday if you have to make some saving?. There are so many ways to change your spending without down grading your holiday but I accept for some it wont be easy. I have met people who refuse to eat Thai food. I love my condo living in Pattaya and it halved the cost of staying in a hotel. I could go on but I am sure that almost everyone could cut back if they truly wanted a Pattaya holiday. I am in such a good place that I hadnt even considered a
  23. Yogi and MLC. Thanks for your posts. They were both sensible, to the point and both hit a lot of nails on a lot of heads. Sent from my Nokia 6.1 using Tapatalk
  24. Just read this on Pattaya news. Thailand- The Tourism Ministry of Thailand reported yesterday, June 20th, 2019, the following news in regards to tourism arrivals in Thailand and the news isn’t positive: -A total of a 1.03% drop in the total number of tourists year over year in May. -A total of 2.7 million tourists in May. -Spending of 135 billion baht, down 0.95% from the prior year. -Chinese tourists declined 8.55% year over year. -Total tourism dollars in May accounted for about 12% of the gross domestic product.
  25. You may be completely correct however when the Smartgate system started I doubt that anyone realised just how efficient it would become. The one step that has been dropped for some years in NZ is the stamping of passports. I would imagine that whatever else they will still want to bang that stamp and earn their baht. In the final analysis perhaps all they will achieve is to filter out some of the people on duals such as you have mentioned.
×
×
  • Create New...