griffer

5 hours ago, trevoromgh said:

Thanks Griffer for the report on your girlfriend's experience of returning to the UK a fortnight ago.  I presume the queues you mentioned at LHR then were arrivals from all three zones?  They are now supposed to be separating them up by zone so you don't get mixed in with people coming from RED zones anymore but whether this will make the queues shorter or not remains to be seen.  One concern I have is that as a result of this action they will change my arrival terminal and my taxi will go to the wrong one, but will just have to check with the airline closer to the departure date. 

Hope other people report their experiences back here so we can understand whether things are improving or not.

I read that LHR terminal 3 for Red zone countries.....that should ease the burden at terminal 2....it was definitely a bit fraught in there...luckily my girlfiend speaks fairly good english so could answers questions about "did she understand the rules for quarantine?" ""can you confirm the address for quarantine?" etc etc.....the bordr officers are certainly under some pressure...

flight to UK on may 8 by thai girlfriend

she went to bumungrad and got covid test  and results in one day...within 3 days of departure...you need test results in english...5500 baht

filled in locater form within 48 hours of departure

I purchased randox 2+8 day test kit  £175..she had printed invoice and registration papers with her

this was checked at check-in at thai airways..flight cost 36000 baht..she had bought this on her own credit card which she had with her...only one flight/week 60% full

huge queues at heathrow terminal 2 arrived 4.30..out at 7.45

all papers checked at LHR.....several people pulled aside for incomplete paperwork

we used my phone as first point of contact and her thai number as second

we were called every day but one over quarantine period..when my phone wasn't answered they called thai number.(which was bit of a shock)

did her tests on day 2 and 8 and received results promptly.

she is here for 3 months and then we have to book quarantine hotel back in LOS.

hope that helps someone.

many thanks for your opinion...

I would find it draconian if two 3 week visits in a 7 month period was considered "de facto residence",,,,but I am not an ECO and I am interested in the opinion of others who may have had experience.

As to the veracity of her contract of employment; we would be supplying employers contact details with the application, as we have done before.

thanks.

I may not have been clear. I understand that both visas have distinct time limitations. It was the regularity of the visits that i was questioning. If we plan on her visiting every 3 months for 3 weeks, does it not make more sense for those visits to be based on visiting a partner (Family visa) rather than as a tourist (General visa)?

As i said, she has too many family ties and financial commitments in Thailand to consider a permanent move as this point. Her company understands the situation and has agreed to her taking unpaid leave.

My inclination is to apply for a two year family visa. Would anyone advise against that?

many thanks.

I have lived in Thailand for more than 10 years. I have used it as a base and worked throughout Asia.

I have a partner(girlfriend) whom I have I known for more than 5 years, and lived with for more than 3 years. She has a son of 9 years old. She works full-time and has property in Thailand.

I am returning to the UK to work. She will not come to live there(for now), because of her family commitments in Thailand, but will visit regularly(every 3 months for 3 weeks)

She has a current General visit visa for the UK that we used at Christmas for a 3 week holiday and she will go again for 3 weeks in March.

My question is about the next type of visa she will apply for. I was intending to apply for a 2 or 3 year visa for her.

As I understand it, the Family visit visa allows her to stay longer in the UK. This may or may not prove useful.

Are there other subtle differences that I am not aware of?

We have accommodation and sufficient finances for either visa. Is there anything I have overlooked that may prevent a successful application?

many thanks.

it states on some of the airline websites that the credit card holder(person paying the ticket) has to be at checkin

does that apply to both legs?

eg..I buy tickets for me and my girlfriend ..mine is one way from BKK to LHR but hers is return BKK>LHR>BKK

will she have problems checking-in in LHR if i am not present

we plan to fly EVA.

thanks.

yup the card probably only speeded things up in the fact that they could immediately access my medical history and I had a history of paying my bills..))

the card actually also got you a discount on in-patient care and medication.....

this card

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/388812-does-bumrungrad-have-a-discount-card/

I had to call an ambulance from Bumrungrad a few years ago

I lived about 15 min walk from Bumrungrad in Soi 13

The ambulance took about 30 minutes to arrive with a doctor and two medics

She administered morphine to move me

The cost of the ambulance was only around 2000 baht.

I was already registered with Bumrungrad and had their card in my wallet with my hospital number on it.. I assume that helped speed things up.

I will post this on the off chance it helps someone. I am not trying to sound alarmist.

A fiend of mine, big,fit, healthy guy..non-smoker had back pain....between the shoulder blades..

he used to be a lumberjack so it sort of came with the job..

the pain persisted..he went and got diagnosed.

it was cancer at the bottom of the esophagus

he died within 6 months

a rare case I am sure....but it can happen

get properly diagnosed.

I seem to have posted this in wrong place before..so I will move it here

many thanks in advance to anyone who can explain(if you want a few more details go to my previous post) http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/783364-record-tv-how/

could someone explain to me the new technology

I have a panasonic TH-P42X30T plasma TV

I have it linked through a Sony HDMI video recorder RDR GX380 to my True set-top box.

It worked great.. I can record 6 hours of golf during the night and watch the next day. It also burns it onto a disk that I can either re-use or (using cheaper disks) keep forever.

I have sets of disks of British Open, Ryder Cup...love it..

But the recorder has gone wrong..happy to buy another one as it is 5-6 years old.

But can't find one. Went to Sony shop and "salesman" told me they are not made anymore because there is no demand (?)

But he said you can record straight into a USB memory stick... but couldn't find correct remote to show me..(

He also said you need to inform True if you want to record?

So what's the go.. can I use my TV to record to a memory stick.?.will it hold 6 hours or more?..any programmes?.. can I then burn it onto a disk for keeping?

Am I going backwards in time?

I know I can hire a PVR (personal video recorder) from True...but I believe it is just a hard drive/or flash memory.. I can't keep it on a disk..?

many thanks..

It just confuses me that I have a perfect solution..I can record any programme, burn to disk, keep forever, play on any TV or computer.....with the current video recorder

but I have to change to record on a memory stick or hard drive that has severe limitations...??

I have a feeling I don't understand the upgrade...??

In a UK forum it says you can only record free to air programmes...does True limit the type of programmes I could record with this memory stick? could I not record, say, the live golf?

thanks for your time..

apologies..apparently it does have a built in tuner..

http://www.cnet.com/products/sony-rdr-gx380-dvd-recorder-with-tv-tuner/specs/

but the interesting bit is that it records to a disk...I don't understand how this has been superseded.

no it hasn't got its own built in tuner..you just wire True tuner through it to TV...u can then record any programme..TV doesn't have to be on..

I could record any programme that was available on True..

bit like an old VHS recorder I guess..except it burns 6 hours onto a DVD+R disk.

hmm..been digging round the internet

haven't found exactly the information I require...but am getting concerned that they keep saying "the TV will allow you to record free to air programmes"

have they found a way to stop me recording, say, the Ryder Cup because I have to pay a subscription?

best I have worked out is buy an external harddisk and link to TV..but you will not be able to transfer these files to a computer(so cannot burn onto disk) (or play on computer)and the files will only be readable by that particular brand of TV..??

must be a TV expert out there somewhere..no?

Truevisions content is copy protected using Macrovision - your best bet it to ask them to activate the PVR function.

with my old recorder I could record anything that was on TV.. I do not have PVR activated...that changes with a Smart TV?

hmm..been digging round the internet

haven't found exactly the information I require...but am getting concerned that they keep saying "the TV will allow you to record free to air programmes"

have they found a way to stop me recording, say, the Ryder Cup because I have to pay a subscription?

best I have worked out is buy an external harddisk and link to TV..but you will not be able to transfer these files to a computer(so cannot burn onto disk) (or play on computer)and the files will only be readable by that particular brand of TV..??

must be a TV expert out there somewhere..no?

Posted 3 minutes ago

how did I put this in Real Estate..?

could someone explain to me the new technology

I have a panasonic TH-P42X30T plasma TV

I have it linked through a Sony HDMI video recorder RDR GX380 to my True set-top box.

It worked great.. I can record 6 hours of golf during the night and watch the next day. It also burns it onto a disk that I can either re-use or (using cheaper disks) keep forever.

I have sets of disks of British Open, Ryder Cup...love it..

But the recorder has gone wrong..happy to buy another one as it is 5-6 years old.

But can't find one. Went to Sony shop and "salesman" told me they are not made anymore because there is no demand (?)

But he said you can record straight into a USB memory stick... but couldn't find correct remote to show me..(

He also said you need to inform True if you want to record?

So what's the go.. can I use my TV to record to a memory stick.?.will it hold 6 hours or more?..any programmes?.. can I then burn it onto a disk for keeping?

Am I going backwards in time?

I know I can hire a PVR (personal video recorder) from True...but I believe it is just a hard drive/or flash memory.. I can't keep it on a disk..?

many thanks..

came through yesterday

enter the queuing area ( same as old area).. go to girl.. tell her destination.. she taps computer.. u get print out ticket... you then wander along the kerb to "lane number"..mine was 15..no taxi there..waited two minutes taxi arrives...he has to use swipe card to exit taxi area...you retain ticket with taxi driver name, taxi number...it has a suggestions area to fill in if you were overcharged, switched off meter, others....has number to call with complaints...in small type at bottom it explains about extra 50 baht for taxi for queuing at airport..also explains passengers pays tollways...

amazing Thailand...

unfortunately the person you need to convince is the Immigration officer in front of you when you arrive..

we are not privy to the instructions that have been given to them regarding potential abusers of their system..

the fact that one can "holiday" every other month in the same country naturally may give rise to a higher level of interest..

do you stay in a hotel for your holiday? or have you bought a property here? it could be construed that in effect you have made Thailand your "home"

all supposition at this point..but it would seem that, at the least, one may expect closer scrutiny on arrival...

I posted this on another thread yesterday..

I was with a lawyer today who deals with immigration issues.

Contrary to the popular belief that 28/28 rotations with VEE (visa exempt entries) will be acceptable as a long term solution to staying in Thailand, he felt, that with his dealings with Immigration officials, it will not.

He argued that residing in the country on a regular basis, even on a rotational basis, falls outside of the intended use of VEE.

He believed that VEE was for the occasional visitor to the country who comes for a holiday, and then returns home to where he lives.

Obviously without clear limitations on number of VEEs per year, it will be at the discretion of the Immigration official to make a judgement.

Just his opinion...

I was with a lawyer today who deals with immigration issues.

Contrary to the popular belief that 28/28 rotations with VEE (visa exempt entries) will be acceptable as a long term solution to staying in Thailand, he felt, that with his dealings with Immigration officials, it will not.

He argued that residing in the country on a regular basis, even on a rotational basis, falls outside of the intended use of VEE.

He believed that VEE was for the occasional visitor to the country who comes for a holiday, and then returns home to where he lives.

Obviously without clear limitations on number of VEEs per year, it will be at the discretion of the Immigration official to make a judgement.

Just his opinion...

was sat in Holly's coffee today and saw them do same thing with an Indian ( I would guess) family...

wonder what the photos are for?

I leave the visa section blank on immigration card,,, as I have done for numerous years

never been asked if I had a visa before.

ah.. you misunderstand ..my visa is to work in Indonesia.....I have no visa for Thailand.