What an awesome week it’s been here in the Big Mango. With 2.2 million people arriving at Suvarnabhumi in October and 60,000 people arriving per day so far this month, Bangkok has been absolutely electric and full of life in a way that I’m just experiencing for the very first time on the heels of a quiet two years. I’d imagine that many of you are just weeks away from your return to Thailand, so get that countdown clock started!
PayPal Thailand To Cut Off Most Users Next Month
The vast majority of PayPal users in Thailand will no longer have access to the service starting next month unless they complete a variety of verification steps that are only available to Thai citizens. This means that foreigners in the Kingdom will be unable to access personal PayPal accounts from December 15th onwards. The changes are being made to align with the country’s recent crackdown on money laundering which will also see ID Verification become a requirement at cash deposit machines. PayPal representatives said that “under Thai law, they’re obliged to verify the identity of their customers, which helps keep PayPal safe for everyone using it.”
Our Take
I wanted to include this brief story for all of my fellow expats that may be reading this week’s edition of Thailand Weekly. I’m sure many of you have Thai bank accounts and will largely be unaffected, but if you do happen to have an old Thai PayPal account with funds in there, it’s probably best to clear everything out ASAP to be safe. It’d be brutal to have PayPal funds become unaccessible once that key date of December 15th hits.
Taxi Fares To Rise In Two Weeks
This past Thursday, Thailand’s Ministry of transport approved an increase in Bangkok taxi fares on the heels of protests by drivers over the past month. As things currently stand, the base fare for every taxi cab in the country is 35 baht and then 5.5 to 6.5 baht per KM depending on the length of the trip. To help paint the picture of these fees, a standard 20-minute taxi ride in and around Bangkok tends to be anywhere between 60 to 80 baht if the driver uses the metre. The new fare schedule being implemented all 80,000 registered Bangkok taxis can be found below:
1600 to 1800cc taxi cabs will have a base fare of 35 baht. 2000cc taxi cabs will have a base fare of 40 baht.
A journey from 2 to 10 kilometres costs 6.5 baht/KM
A journey from 11 to 20 kilometres costs 7 baht/KM
A journey from 21 to 40 kilometres costs 8 baht/KM
A journey from 41 to 60 kilometres costs 8.5 baht/KM
A journey from 61 to 80 kilometres costs 9 baht/KM
A journey from 81 kilometres onwards costs 10.5 baht/KM
The increase in fares also means that authorities will be taking a harder stance on drivers not using the meter or refusing service.
Our Take
Like I said last week when discussing the Grab protests, I have no problems with fares increasing and/or more favourable driver rules being put in place. I’ve often wondered how taxi drivers here in Bangkok are able to make money, and in all honesty, their margins are likely razor thin. I’d way rather pay more by metre (base fare + per KM fee) and never have issues with drivers refusing service. This is so much better than operating in a world where cab drivers feel like they’re getting screwed over (which they probably are) every time they pick up a customer.
Thailand Travel Tip
Back in September, I gave you the full breakdown of the Thailand hotel collection we’re piecing together, the backstory of how it came to be, and why we started it. If you missed it, just click here and then scroll down to the ‘Thailand Travel Tip’ section where you can get the full scoop. Anyways, as part of this all, I went ahead recommended an awesome property down in Phuket called X10 Panwa Beach which MANY of you seemed to appreciate. Not only was it one of the most clicked links I’ve ever left as part of this newsletter, but I also had a few people reach out directly and say thanks for the recommendation + discount code which was used in stride. The same also applied when recommending The Beach hotel in Koh Samui, and Somerset Rama 9 in Bangkok.
Given the good feedback, I figured that this week I’d keep the ball rolling and shine some light on another cool hotel in Bangkok, called Ascott Thonglor It’s conveniently located in one of the city’s trendiest neighbourhoods just 5 minutes away from the BTS Station and some of the best restaurants and nightlife you can find in BKK. With an awesome selection of rooms, pool, gym and other amenities, it’s a great option for those looking for a 5-star property to base up in whether you’re here short-term or long-term. If you are interested in booking, enter the promotion code ‘RW4U’ on their website to get 10% off your stay. A little treat from us to you.
Kush House Opens In Bangkok
This past Wednesday, Kush House - the coolest new marijuana dispensary in Bangkok had its grand opening party full of amazing people, cool vibes, and lots and lots of cannabis. Located in the heart of Phrom Phong right at the corner of Sukhumvit Soi 22, it’s an amazing space that gives customers an immersive marijuana experience with on-site Thai traditional medicine doctors, an art gallery, community lounge, consumption room, and most importantly, high quality cannabis and expert budtenders. They’re open seven days a week from 11AM to 11PM and are designed to cater to the utmost beginners, expert users, and everyone in between.
Our Take
This was an AWESOME event that both Chris and I had an absolute blast at. What the Kush House team has created is pretty special and I can’t wait to see where things go for them. Given their location, attention to detail, quality, and overall atmosphere, I think they’ll kill it in the cannabis space here in Bangkok. It’s also worth noting that this isn’t some sponsored segment or anything like that. I just love to shine light on cool businesses and cool people in this amazing city, so next time you’re in town, definitely consider paying them a visit if you want to experience the very best of cannabis culture here in the Big Mango.
Only In Thailand 🇹🇭
Bat soup anyone? This past week, a Thai vlogger shared a minute and a half long video that showed her indulging in what I would consider a pretty exotic and perhaps even dangerous dish… bat meat. She mentioned that it was her first time eating the animal and then went on to describe the soup as delicious with the texture of the bat being similar to raw meat. Once authorities caught wind of the video, they were shocked and arrested her under the Preservation and Protection and Wildlife Act. She faces a 5 year prison sentence or a 500,000 baht fine. Man, I don’t know what her motivations were, but if it was to go viral, she definitely accomplished that in wild fashion. I’ll take a pass on bat soup for the time being…