et tu, Thailand?

[havill]

The days where Europeans and Americans looking to "find themselves" living and working in a exotic country like Thailand or Japan are coming to the end.

Japan pretty much shut down its visa-run trade on the late and early 20th/21st century with fingerprints and better computer software to flag the runners upon reading the passport's MRZ.

And now Thailand (the country that actually invented the term "visa run"; Google it) is following suit:

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/nationa ... 38504.html

[yanpa]

The days where Europeans and Americans looking to "find themselves" living and working in a exotic country like Thailand or Japan are coming to the end.

And what about non-Europeans and Americans, you continentalist!?! Do you think your fancy Japanese passport will make it any easier for you?

Reasonably informed summary/opinion from someone on the ground (WARNING: potentially NSFW site with the odd ladyboy bar ad, but mainly interesting textual content with lots of expat trainwreck stories).

[yanpa]

Anyway, as far as cracking down on back-to-back visas goes, with Thailand it's a bit of a "oh, is it that time of the decade again?" thing.

Compare this 2006 article from the same site linked above.

Disclaimer: I once spent some time working in Thailand - on a legitimate visa I hasten to add - which nevertheless provided more insights than I would like into the byzantine "immigration" system there

Disclaimer (2): for those with dirty minds, I was doing contract work for the German overseas development agency

Disclaimer (3): I am not a Canadian journalist and have never written any novels

[Coligny]

Thailand is a country ? I thought it was just the name of a giant tranny brothel somewhere in SweatyAssCrack Asia...

The more you know... Let me guess... Another one of those "got nuke but no indoor plumbing" shithole that print passport because branding the locals with red hot iron make them look bad when they come begging at the UN ? How much more global warming do we need after getting rid of bengladesh to have them drown in their putrid sewer ?

I am in an excellent mood this evening... Anyone up for a bloodbath ?

[yanpa]

No nukes, but a teensy aircraft carrier, over-the-top lèse-majesté laws and a sub-optimal pavement experience.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Thailand is a country ? I thought it was just the name of a giant tranny brothel somewhere in SweatyAssCrack Asia...

The more you know... Let me guess... Another one of those "got nuke but no indoor plumbing" shithole that print passport because branding the locals with red hot iron make them look bad when they come begging at the UN ? How much more global warming do we need after getting rid of bengladesh to have them drown in their putrid sewer ?

I am in an excellent mood this evening... Anyone up for a bloodbath ?

This from a guy who thinks Vietnam is Paradise on Earth!?

[Coligny]

Vietnam even got bidet... Remember, it was France before...

1887-1954
Nevar forget

(Insert tear eyed cockerel here)

[Taro Toporific]

Thailand is a country ? I thought it was just the name of a giant tranny brothel

This from a guy who thinks Vietnam is Paradise on Earth!?

I am thinking* that 'Nam is 10x better than Thailand for an "Asian" vacation.
That is, 70% of the Vietnamese population was born before the Franco-American fuck-up, none of the girls are fat cows, but Engrish, and Franglais is still the lingua-franca (rather than dealing with the turdy Muslim fuck-ups of Indonesia or Malaysia (beyond Singapore).

*I have not been to Vietnam, Indonesia or real Malaysia (beyond Singapore) yet.

[matsuki]

Disclaimer: I once spent some time working in Thailand - on a legitimate visa I hasten to add - which nevertheless provided more insights than I would like into the byzantine "immigration" system there

Disclaimer (2): for those with dirty minds, I was doing contract work for the German overseas development agency

So....disclaimer 2 is just to confirm your ladyboy sheisterfest in Thailand work was only on contract?

[Samurai_Jerk]

Thailand is a country ? I thought it was just the name of a giant tranny brothel

This from a guy who thinks Vietnam is Paradise on Earth!?

I am thinking* that 'Nam is 10x better than Thailand for an "Asian" vacation.
That is, 70% of the Vietnamese population was born before the Franco-American fuck-up, none of the girls are fat cows, but Engrish, and Franglais is still the lingua-franca (rather than dealing with the turdy Muslim fuck-ups of Indonesia or Malaysia (beyond Singapore).

*I have not been to Vietnam, Indonesia or real Malaysia (beyond Singapore) yet.

I love Vietnam but it's definitely more fucked than Thailand when it comes to infrastructure and the development of the tourism industry. On the plus side you're less likely to get killed crossing the road because though traffic is chaotic, people don't drive like maniacs and they go pretty slow.

[Coligny]

Traffic is slow only inside city limits. Hit the road and it's the Gumball 3000...

For the rest:
Train schedule randomness on par with Britain.
Electrical and phone wiring as good as Japan.
Postal service as worrisome as in Italy.
Food as good as in France.

[Russell]

Traffic is slow only inside city limits. Hit the road and it's the Gumball 3000...

For the rest:
Train schedule randomness on par with Britain.
Electrical and phone wiring as good as Japan.
Postal service as worrisome as in Italy.
Food as good as in France.

As many people with the phrase "van" in their name as in Holland...