CanadaVisitor

Like @Raul says I have stayed in "Our hotel is a totally non smoking hotel" places all through Thailand and if there isn't an ashtray on the balcony I just contact the front desk and ask them to bring one up. They always bring one. Or the safest way to ease your mind is to email the hotel directly ahead of time and clarify their smoking rules. Or do what @Denbosch1971 suggested. Don't say a word and just smoke on the balcony using an empty drink bottle or something to use as an ashtray so you don't make a mess. You might find the bottle gone the next day and it being replaced by an ashtray. Sounds good, but if it were me, they would probably give me a room on the backside of the hotel overlooking a construction zone, haha

I almost always use this place too. They will deliver or you can pick up. Normal service is next day before 8 or 9 PM...(can be as early as 2 or 3 PM in my experience). For rush service I think you have to drop it off before noon and it's finished that day before 9 PM. But it doesn't come too much earlier then that. Rush service is double the price. For only a few hours turnaround, the quickest thing is to get the rush service from the hotel, but that's much more expensive than using a laundry service. Or stay at a place like the Holiday Inn Express that has a couple coin machines for their guests and you can do it yourself.

Yup...agree with this completely

Just landed and am in my taxi to Soi 11. I never installed the app. I just did my TDAC as usual. And as usual they never asked to see it anyway. THIM definitely not mandatory yet, but I still don’t know about TRIM, haha

This hasn't become law yet (August 11, 2026) as far as I can tell. It has to become published in the Royal Gazette first. I have read, (but am not sure), that the old rules stay in effect until 15 days AFTER it gets published. @Johan S If you have a US passport the Visa on Arrival does not apply to you.

https://siam-legal.com/travel-to-thailand/thailands-thim-app-what-every-foreign-traveler-needs-to-know/ From what I've read the THIM was optional until August and then it was supposed to become mandatory. But it also says you still need to fill out the TDAC? I've been scouring the net looking to see if this has actually become mandatory, but cannot find any relevant/recent news. I'm in Cambodia right now and returning to Thailand tomorrow...I'm not going to download this app. I will just do the TDAC online like I always do. See what happens...will let you guys know how I make out.

Currently it is 60 days for the Cambodian girls (and they can apply for a 30 day extension). Land borders still not open and changing to only 14 days by air...hopefully they will get education visas or something like that.

It's not hard to apply and get the 60 day tourist visa, but just an extra hassle and an extra expense. Except for one trip, I have always stayed longer than 30 days so I have done the 60 day tourist visa process a few times. Even if you don't technically qualify for the DTV or one of their newer visas it might be worth applying. One doctors appointment used to be good enough to get you the 5 year visa when it first came out and meeting the "soft activities" criteria used to be very easy...register for 1 cooking class or muay thai lesson and that sort of thing.

I think Accor plus is now called AllAccor+Explorer...if you can get past all the confusing BS, it is worth a look like @Unavowed mentions. You now get two free nights instead of one; some rewards points worth about $50 USD off your hotel bill; and get to Elite status quicker with AllAccor. It was worth it for me to get, but why so convoluted!?

Either a typo or you splurged for the ten person van, haha. 1200 for a normal car. I take Orange all the time to Pattaya and back. When I first started using them I'd say maybe 1 trip in 10 was substandard in some way. Now I haven't had a bad trip for a long time. Once they sent a subaru that looked like it was ready for street racing. The sport suspension made it one of my most uncomfortable rides ever. I told Orange that they cannot do that to me again and maybe that message has got through because I've been upgraded for free twice now.

I didn't know about ETEC so will look into it. Thanks for the info @steve54. I avoid high risk foods and try not to rim. The first night when I took Judy she presented herself to me and pretty much begged me to rim her so I couldn't say no. Even though she just cleaned herself in the shower I gave her a wipe down with a baby wipe and then cleaned those soaps/chemicals off with a bit of coconut oil. I find immodium the best for light cases of diahhrea, but what has made the biggest difference for me is to get onto a probiotic regimine. I highly suggest this.

RIP Taas...but how the hell did you post this?

Sounds like someone is really excited for their trip, . Safe travels.

This is how it was for me. I had the TDAC on my phone ready to go and was never asked for it. I asked the officer if he wanted to see it and he said it was on his system so no need for me to show. Maybe if you filled it out at the last minute it might not show up on their side? Don't know, just a guess.

I heard that there is a Canuck involved in this restaurant (part owner, manager?) so yes, more of a North American breakfast. (I've never understood how the Brits can eat beans for breakfast, haha) I haven't tried one there yet, but heard that they sell beaver tails there. If you have a sweet tooth this might be for you. Fried dough in the shape of a (you guessed it) beaver tail, covered in cinnamon sugar and being a Canadian tradition there is always maple syrup involved. Haha. I haven't had one for decades...since I was last skating on the Rideau canal in Ottawa.