I think the Farang bashing must be a reference to the dogs. I keep getting barked at by a big group of dogs every time I walk past them. They seem to be saying "Faragh! Faragh!" or something close to that. (I don't speak much Thai, only about 700 words.) When I ask them "Sunak, why you guys keep bashing me?", they just perk up their ears and look a bit confused. The language barrier is very evident sometimes in Thailand. But then they bark out a very loud "Faragh!" - less frequent but more authoritative, as if to drive home their point. Then they escort me further down the road, self-appointed border guards. Everyone has his boundaries, khun kao dzai... But not all Thai dogs are Farang bashers. Lots of nice dogs here. So I wouldn't ascribe too much importance to reports of Farang bashing. And that nasty Russian guy who got his ear cut off a couple years ago (in Pattaya, I think) arguably deserved what he got. Слава Украïнi!
fully refundable tickets are rare, aren't they? Don't they usually have a $20+ fee? Onwardticket and similar sites can get you a ticket that's good for around 48 hours - they evidently actually make a reservation so it will fool anyone who checks. (???) But the onward ticket isnt the issue, Robert. Visa exempt entry doesn't require anything but your passport and the boarding pass you just used. Am I wrong? That's what an Immigration officer told me.
I feel a tiny bit sorry for the Immigration officers. My experience at DMK two days ago showed me that they have as hard a time finding the real rules as we do! I can imagine them surfing the internet each day after work, trying to find the real rule... Has anyone actually seen arrivals getting turned back? They make you buy a ticket online and then escort you to your plane when it is time for the flight back to Timbuktu? Do they escort you to baggage claim so you can get your checked baggage?
