ChristianPFC

I didn't notice any wind on ground, but of course higher up there might be wind. Indeed, today I didn't see or hear any, contrary to yesterday.

I was away for a month and now can hear and see passenger airplanes from my room in Sathorn, which has never happened before. Friends confirm and one checked online and found that all air traffic to/from Don Mueang airport DMK now goes south over Bankgok. Before it was all north. Why is that?

Now that I got my DTV and entered Thailand, I can answer my own question. Hand over passport, boarding pass, DTV, TDAC and expect a quick processing. However, young lady officer calls senior male officer and I can understand a bit of their chat (my first entry with DTV, before many times on VE). They ask how long I want to stay here (2 months) and return flight (I don't have any), but drop the subject. They want to know what I do in Thailand (medical tourism, tell them details). Male officer asks me to follow him to another counter. There goes through my documents again and I have the idea to hand him my various receipts and medical certificates from previous treatments. Asks me if I'm sick (no, I come for check-up and well-being). He scans some documents (with the scanner for passport, has to fold A4-paper so relevant part is in passport size). Checks one of my conditions from medical certificate on google on his phone and asks if that is my ailment. I confirm. Stamps me in with 180 days. https://web.facebook.com/groups/destinationthailandvisa/permalink/2225372571319020 Here a report by someone who got grilled over rental contract and address. For future entries, I will be well prepared (except flight out of Thailand, the beauty of a visa is that I should be able to enter Thailand without proof of leaving, I like the flexibility of when and where to go next.

I was planning to enter Thailand by air from Cambodia, and with a history of long time in Thailand on VE would have used a safe entry agency. Here their links and replies in italic: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552069237778 Friendly Thai Visa Services We have the safe entry airport services. But not with arrivals from Cambodia unfortunately. https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2321943791583778&id=100013045387365&rdid=9jttvbvsXIGv9Gf7 Success Visa-Pattaya: Retirement Visa-วีซ่าไทยให้ต่างชาติ. Send your passport + flight to let us check And now can help with flight that drop to suvannaphum airport only (The general question if they can help me when coming from Cambodia can be answered without my passport and flight details, so I didn't proceed here.) https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2768535590009766&id=589964740876398&rdid=lzk3RHEWTO0AAWBb Airport Fast Track , Border Run & Visa Services I’m so sorry to inform you that, according to the airport immigration policy, the Fast Track service is not available for passengers arriving on any flight from Cambodia. https://www.facebook.com/swdvisaservice/ SWD Thai Visa Service If fly from Cambodia you need to come BKK BECAUSE DMK not accept travelers coming via Cambodia But we just got news just now, phuket airport currently cant do. Officers told to reject all case In the end, I got a visa in time, otherwise I would have used SWD Thai Visa Service. The information I collected might help others. There must be a dozen safe entry agencies, based on adverts I get on facebook.

A friend and I were going to rent a car in Pattaya in the morning for a day trip same day. Two companies we went to had no cars available. That was low season. We will try again in December. How long in advance would you book a rental car? Further things we notices: some companies include insurance in rental price, others charge insurance extra. Most cars come without navigation system, that would cost extra or I use my phone and google maps? Some companies have a compulsory cleaning charge? Anything else to pay attention to?

I have been doing similar for years, TV until 2022 and VE since then. The 60 days visa exempt is very favorable for me, as my optimum time in Thailand is 1-2 months anyway. I don't do extensions because I like to travel elsewhere anyway. For me it's 1-2 months in Thailand, 1-2 month elsewhere (in summer home in Germany, else mostly Cambodia, Myanmar, China 1-2 months). Total time in Thailand about 6 months per year (calendar year or rolling, all the same). I was pulled for interrogation once but then stamped in. I come prepared with cash (at least 1000 Euro), address (needed for DTAC anyway), a travel plan (national parks, temples, festivals that I want to visit).

Beautiful! Where is this temple with the Buddhist Hell murals?

I have been doing this (VE 1-2 months in Thailand, 1-2 months elsewhere, total less than 180 days per year in Thailand) for 3 years (and before on TV for even longer) and was questioned twice, but finally let in. I'm planning to get a DTV. In your case, I would try until you get questioned, but have the relevant documents (20k THB proof of funding and flight out of Thailand) ready every time you enter.

There was that ferry service a few years before Covid. I took that ferry three times in total, every time occupancy was low (maybe 25% of seats occupied) and they ceases operation with Covid. Train is possible, but the trains are slow and times not coordinated, would take a full day of traveling. There is a direct bus Hua Hin to Pattaya (RRC BUS STATION HUA HIN (Roong Reuang Coach) บริษัทรถรุ่งเรืองจำกัด near Airport), but only few departures and when I went it was booked out for the day and following days. I had to take a bus to Bangkok (Mor Chit) and change there into another bus to Pattaya.

I'm looking for a bicycle rental in Pattaya, or even better in Nakluea or Jomtien (so I can go by songtheo and don't have to cycle in/through Pattaya) to go to various places of interest around Pattaya, up to 20 km away, on minor roads. I have rented bicycles for 100 THB/day in Ubon, Korat, Hua Hin, Kanchanaburi, Sukhotai, or 3 USD in Siem Reap and Sihanoukville, but there is no such service in Pattaya that I know of. Searching on google maps, and going in person, there is Cadence Cycle Pattaya in Jomtien, however they have only mountain bikes at 450 THB/day, minimum rental 3 days. I need just a city bike and 1 day, maximum 2, is enough. I would be interested to hear about bicycle rental in other places off the tourist trail (e.g. Nakhon Sawan, couldn't find a bicycle rental there, searching google maps in English and Thai) as well.

Where did you get that number "couple thousand people a week" from? If there were reliable numbers, I could asses the risk of continuing as described below, or get DTV or safe entry. I have been coming to Thailand visa exempt for the last three years (and TV before), currently on average two months in Thailand, two months out (Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Taiwan, Myanmar or home in Germany). My shortest visa run was Taiwan 2 weeks, after which I was taken aside for questioning but finally let in. Nowadays I do mostly 2-months-2-country visa runs, e.g. flying out to China, flying from China to Cambodia, returning to Thailand from Cambodia over land (that was before the border closure).

If other people had problems at immigration with DTV, that would speak against getting one. I forgot one point that speaks for DTV: the current 60 days visa free suits me well, but there is possibility it is reversed to 30 days which is tight in time for me. DTV would be better than SETVs if visa free is reduced to 30 days. Another question: transfer of a DTV from old passport to new passport is just a trip to immigration? My current passport will be full in one to two years.

I think of getting a DTV and would like to know if anyone here has ever had problems at immigration with a DTV. In 2019, I was entering Thailand on a METV and immigration pulled me aside and asked for a flight out. The nice thing about METV is that you don't have to provide proof of leaving; once I'm in Thailand I can take my time to figure out where and when I want to go. However I didn't discuss this point with IO, she would have found another requirement that is more difficult to fulfill. On my phone, I booked a flight out and got stamped in. My point is that visa does not guarantee entry. But then what's the point of a visa? I submit more documents when applying, and the embassy takes more time to check, and still an IO can deny me entry. Before Covid, I have been up to 8 months per year in Thailand on TV. Since Covid, I have been in Thailand mostly on VE, up to 180 days per year in Thailand with visa runs in SEAsia of 1-2 months each and 2-4 months in summer in Germany. I have been taken aside a few times (on average five entries no problem, one entry some questions) and would rather get a DTV or use safe entry before I ever get denied entry. I am here purely for holiday, have the money fund my stay, but don't qualify for any of the visas. Not even for DTV (I'm not remote working and not interested in soft skills), but I'm sure an agency can help me with that. I realize the absurdity of the situation: I come here with money to spend on hotels, restaurants, travel, museums, national parks, temples. If you asked the last 10 Thai I interacted with, 11 would say: Mr Christian, please come again. Yet I have to worry about problems at immigration.

Not in my case. As requested (written above immigration counters), I handed my phone with email with QR-code open to immigration officer. He opened the attached pdf and zoomed in to read it. (I would have printed the TDAC, but where I came from that would have taken me at least half an hour to find somewhere to print. I have spent a long time in Thailand on TV or visa exempt, that might be the reason why IO took a closer look at my TDAC?)

The cellphone can easily be replaced, but the data lost with the phone and the hassle to set everything up on a new phone is the issue. And the disgrace of someone tricking me (he was good in distracting me). I had money stolen before, quickly forgotten. But in this case I would go to great lengths to catch the thief, but have no point of approach.