Our lives are hanging by a thread
Don't be alarmed, because there is nothing serious going on. On the contrary. My suitcase is packed and I am ready to travel to Bangkok.
Emirates 'Best Airline in 2014'
Emirates, the flag carrier of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has been voted 'Best Airline in 2014' by eDreams, one of the largest online travel companies in Europe.
E-cigarette in airplane luggage dangerous!
The American FAA warns airline passengers against carrying electronic cigarettes in their luggage. Several cases of overheating and fires have been reported after an e-cigarette was accidentally lit
Reader question: Why deregister in the Netherlands?
I wonder why someone should have to deregister from the Netherlands if they stay in Thailand for a large part of the year? What doesn't know what doesn't hurt, right?
Who oh who can help me with an address where I can buy Nespresso coffee cups?
News from Thailand – January 23, 2015
A selection of today's most important Thai news, including:
– The 'Judgment Day' for Yingluck Shinawatra.
– British young woman (23) found dead on Koh Tao.
– Honest Thai returns 3.000 euros to tourists.
– Dutchman arrested for illegal work in Chiang Mai
– Power outage BTS: Thousands of commuters stranded in Bangkok.
Another British dead on Koh Tao
Another British tourist has been found dead on the Thai island of Koh Tao. Last year, a young British couple was murdered on the same holiday island.
When is your flight ticket to Bangkok cheapest? According to Skyscanner, that is 29 weeks before departure. You save almost four percent on the cost of your ticket. The cheapest month to fly is May.
Reader Submission: That's how it can be: Malaysia!
Sometimes you get lost on the world wide web and you come across surprising places. This time on the site MM2H. That stands for Malaysia My Second Home. MM2H is a Malaysian government program to encourage expatriate settlement. My eye fell on the possibility of a 10-year visa. I read on with interest.
'Grandma Withaar' in Isan
The children in the village call her 'Grandma Withaar'. The 87 years of life can be seen from her. She is blind in one eye. Her teeth are black from chewing betel nut.
We have been living on Koh Samui during the Dutch winter months for 9 years, where we have rented a house. As in so many places in Thailand, many Russian or Ukrainian families have settled in our village. We have noticed that many ladies are without husbands, and what is even more remarkable, often heavily pregnant.
Reader question: Car rental in Surin
I am going to Surin Thailand for a week in the second week of March. I would like to rent a car there. Who can advise me what is the best thing to do?
News from Thailand – January 22, 2015
A selection of today's most important Thai news, including:
– Thailand fears the outcome of 'impeachment case' Yingluck.
– BTS Skytrain Stations must be equipped with elevators.
– Phuket wants a Light rail system of 24 billion baht.
– 76-year-old Norwegian woman rescued in forests near Cha-am.
– Number of Suvarnabhumi taxi drivers refuse Japanese tourists.
Reader's statement: 'You have to buy real estate when the mortgage interest rate is high'
In principle, my statement applies to every country where mortgage loans are granted for the purchase of real estate in general and housing in particular. With this statement I want to make the (prospective) buyers of particular homes, also in Thailand, think.
'The Netherlands too strict for expats with a foreign partner'
The rules that State Secretary Fred Teeven of Justice once devised to combat marriages of convenience are too strict and too rigid. Dutch people with a foreign partner are the victims of this, warns D66 MP Gerard Schouw.
Unbelievable
Every now and then you see nice inscriptions and nice corruptions of the English language in particular in Thailand. Often you can enjoy it internally and can't even suppress a smile.
An accident is in a small corner (video)
An accident is in a small corner and that is appropriate here. Children in traffic are unpredictable, add to that the average Thai who opens his car door without looking and you have the scenario for a freak accident.