ChristianPFC

Just got my passport with triple entry tourist visa back (by post, just 2 days after handing it in!).

That means Berlin issues triple entry tourist visas on consecutive years (first April 2014, second April 2015), but want proof of onward travel for all entries (I did indeed book five flights - out,in,out,in,out with 89 day, 50 days, 88 days stay in Thailand).

To the OP: I made visa mistakes that seem stupid in hindsight twice, the first costing money and time and the second just money (applying for double entry when I could only use one entry).

Count yourself lucky immigration officer didn't ask for proof of onward travel when he issued you 30 days visa exemption.

I, too, never managed to get the full time out of visa and extension. For triple entry, it's entry, 60+30, visa run, 60, visa run, 60+30, exit; and the rest spent traveling in other countries or waiting for the visa while in my home country (apply 3 weeks before flight to Thailand).

Inctricacies of filling out a Thai tourist visa application

Embassies give different maximum numbers of entries (Berlin 3, Vientiane 2, Penang 1), ask for slightly differnent sizes for passport picture (e.g 3.5x4.5cm or 4x6cm; fortunately they don't check size and ask when exactly the picture was taken - I used pictures over 1 year old and 0.5cm too small successfully), and require different additional documents. The visa application forms looks slightly different, but requested data is the same.

Thai embassy in Berlin:

All fields are small, data I enter with smallest possible handwriting just fits in. E.g. email address, there is 3.0 cm space.

"Date of arrival in Thailand" this is a date in the future, for which I am applying for visa.

"Traveling by" and "flight or vessel's name" is easy, unless you travel around without plan.

"Duration of proposed stay" for the first entry or all entries combinded? I fill in for first entry.

"Date of previous visit to Thailand" here I enter the dates of my last visit.

"Proposed address in Thailand" I found this is scrutinized whereever I applied for tourist visa, I am renting a room and take rent contract with me to avoid problems.

"Name and address of local guarantor" I either leave this empty or fill in my parents' details

"Name and address of guarantor in Thailand" I leave this empty and had no problems so far. I have address and phone number of a hiso Thai friend with me in case embassy staff asks me to fill it out (however the field is too small to enter the full address).

What do you fill in for proposed duration of stay and guarantor in Thailand?

Now I'm in the same situation again (in Germany, going to apply for triple entry tourist visa in Berlin), and find that they require proof of entry and leaving for every entry.

http://thaiembassy.de/site/index.php/konsularwesen-visa-beglaubigungen/wie-man-ein-visum-beantragt

(flight, train or bus accepted, however train or bus ticket is difficult to get from Germany, and even in Thailand only up to 60 days in advance; train or bus leaves the question if a train to e.g. Nong Khai counts as proof of leaving Thailand)

That means I have to plan the entire trip and book two return flights and one single flight out of Thailand (planning to go to Indonesia and Burma for border run, afaik they require proof of leaving anyway)

There are several Honorary Thai Consulates in Germany, however you can't apply by post for a visa. Only Berlin offers this, but then time for processing can be up to 4 weeks. Fortunately, I'm going to see friends in Berlin anyway, so it costs me only several hours to apply for visa in person.

Just checked for Munich: only proof of entry to Thailand is required (do they think people apply for a visa for fun, without intention to go to Thailand?).

By chance, found a list with 7/11 stores that have True WiFi hotspot, covers 1035 stores (out of over 8000)

http://www.truewifi.net/2011/7_11.pdf

How to convert movie from DVD into one file

I have several movies on DVD that I want to watch on my mobile phone when I travel. How can I convert (and if possible compress from 4 GB to 1 GB) the folders and files on DVD into one file (mp4, avi, flv) that can play on my mobile?

Either with my DVD Player (sherman DV-272 bought for 990 Baht, manual in Thai which I not fully understand, but English on box says "Convert CD into MP3 and keep file in USB") or with a program (which?) on my laptop (my laptop can play the movie from DVD, but I don't want to carry my laptop with me to watch the movie when I travel).

Thanks for all replies in http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/782069-advice-on-penang-visa-run-by-land/ here follow-up how it went.

Penang visa run Jan 2015

This post is about traveling from Hat Yai to Penang, getting visa at Thai Consulate in Penang, and traveling back to Hat Yai. Getting a single entry tourist visa in Penang is a straightforward process. When entering Thailand at Sadao/Dannok, you have to show 20,000 Baht.

Saturday 03.01.2015

Ask in 4 travel agencies in Hat Yai, cost for van to Penang is 400, 450 (twice, near bus station) or 650 Baht (near railway station). The 650 Baht justified the high price with “bus station not sure”, i.e. the travel agency at bus station might take me to Penang or not, probably they would have told me any lie to make me book their tour. They all have the same departure times: 9, 12, 15:30, 16:30 (time posted at travel agencies varies +-30 minutes, but then you have pick up at hotel or meet at travel agency 30 minutes before departure), but no prices posted. I book the 400 Baht tour, scheduled 9 am.

Exchange money in Hat Yai, I get 1 MYR for 9.4 THB (same time on xe.com: 9.376).

Sunday 04.01.2015 (all times Thai time, for Malay time add 1 h)

Wait at travel agency for van, 9:20 bording, 9:28-42 wait in standing van, 9:42 departure. 10:47 Reach border crossing (Sadao Dannok สะเดา ด่านนอก the more popular one, there is another one Sadao Padang Besar สะเดา ปาดังเบซาร์where the railway crosses). The driver asks each passenger for 10 Baht (it remains unclear for what, but seems to be legitimate).

Car and passengers pass Thai immigration separately, and afterwards I cannot see other passengers or car and am not sure where to meet, so I walk to Malay immigration (about 500 m). But there were no other people around, so I walk back, to find car and other passengers waiting for me near Thai immigration.

Drive to Malay immigration, arrive 11:22. There are signs: no pornographic items and no clothes with cannabis leaf prints allowed (these are quite popular in Thailand). 11:40 continue. Malay immigration is a nice change from Lao and Cambodia (where I have to through the humiliation applying for a visa and paying for it): just a stamp and you are in (as a German).

A stop by police and for refueling on the way. 13:50 arrive at ferry port, 14:10 on ferry, 14:15 departure, 14:33 arrive in ferry port. 11:40 we are just 200 m off Chulia street (from street signs and map), I should have gotten off here. After extensive driving around (a free tour if you see it that way, but I didn’t know if the driver understood that I want to get off at Chulia street and didn’t know if we would get back there) get off in Chulia street 15:35.

Exchange money in Chulia street: pay 10 THB for 1 MYR (xe.com: 9.372), I should have exchanged all money in Hat Yai.

Monday 05.01.2015 (all times Malay time)

Two passport copies A4 black and white for 0.40 MYR in 7/11 (somewhere I read a sign normal copies 0.10 MYR, passport copies 0.20 MYR, are they trying to take advantage of visa runners?). Take bus 101 1.40 MYR (NO CHANGE IS GIVEN) from near Chulia street 9:10, get off at Thai temple 9:24, walk to Thai consul 9:44.

There are many people, I queue and learn later 10:05 that you get the visa application from the same window where you hand in the application (that’s what the people were queuing for) without queuing (just walk to the window like queue jumping). There is some staff around (no uniform, could be touts, but they don’t ask for money or offer short-cuts) and free drinking water. The waiting area is outside, but has a roof. With the application form, you get a receipt with a queue number in big black felt pen, mine is 205.

I overheard a conversation: A German man was there with a woman from El Salvador, and they were on a cruise that would leave for Thailand the following day and they need a visa for the woman. Staff at the cruise messed it up. Instead of a day of sightseeing in Georgetown they had to spend the day at the consulate to get a visa! One of the staff gave them a receipt with a low queue number, it seems in special cases like this one day processing is still possible.

After getting application form, I had to wait to get a free table to fill it out. No glue or pen provided, bring your own! You can glue, staple or paperclip your passport pictures to the application form; there is a field for one picture, but two are required. Queue to hand in application form and pay 110 MYR, leave 10:45. There were up to 50 others. Outside is a car that offers passport pictures, photocopies and flight booking.

Tuesday 06.01.2015 (all times Malay time)

Bus 101 1.40 MYR from Komtar 14:06 to Thai temple 14:19, walk to Thai consul 14:39. Less than 10 people, get passport with visa back, out 14:42. Buy ticket for van to Hat Yai 35 MYR at guesthouse, scheduled departure 8:30. All travel agencies have the same departure times: 5, 8:30, 12, 15 (+- 30 minutes) and same price 35 MYR.

Wednesday 07.01.2015 (all times Malay time)

8:31 departure, we are just 6 passengers in the van (I rarely ride in a van in Thailand that is not full). 9:00 cross bridge. A stop for toilet and shopping 10:53-11:15, the driver collects all passengers’ passports and we get them back with Thailand arrival cards that have our details printed on them.

11:20-25 processing at Malay immigration. Van waits at parking behind immigration building.

11:30-55 processing at Thai immigration. Officer at Thai immigration wants to see 20,000 Baht as proof that I can support myself (in her words “show money”). This is a rule that applies to everyone entering Thailand as a tourist, but is usually not enforced, except for this border crossing. She then browses through my passport and asks what I do in Thailand. I truthfully reply that I live in Bangkok and travel all over Thailand. The mood is unfriendly (not “Welcome back, Sir”, but “What illegal activities are you up to under the guise of being a tourist?”).

Wait at the van for other passengers, the other White passenger comes and picks up his luggage. We continue the ride without him, later the driver tells us he didn’t have 20,000 Baht to show at immigration.

A friend said in such a case Malay immigration cancels the exit stamp and you can stay in Malaysia the remaining days from your previous visa. This is because for crossing at a land border, an exit stamp from the country you come from would be required.

12:16 arrive at Hat Yai train station (after driving around in Hat Yai for about half an hour to let other passengers out at their point of choice).

Copyright 2015 ChristianPFC

This is a weird story. Why would someone climb 43 floors to hang himself, in addition to the difficulties to get in?

That's probably the last thing on a suicidal person's mind, but: he made it much more difficult for others to get in and for the owner to sell it.

It's not that easy to get in, just pay 200/100 Baht at security (double pricing, even here!). I managed to get in April 2013, via the park house next to it and the makeshift bridge, with the help of a homeless person dwelling in the park house (technically a trespasser, same like me, but at least he lives there, I paid 300). In 2011-2013, I made several attempts to get in via the main entrance, with help of a Thai friend to translate, but either the gate was locked or I could just get up to about 3rd floor (locked door on the stairway up), after tipping a homeless person on the premises 100 Baht.

It cost me a lot of money (400 Baht plus travel expenses) and time to get in, and I speak Thai (nobody there speaks English), I find it hard to believe that the deceased just walks by, pays, climbs up and doesn't come down.

When I am in the area I will have a look if fence and gate look different than last time I went there.

Thanks for all comments, I will take it into consideration. But still, I like train travel and walking/public transport. So it will probably be train and going to the embassy myself.

I forgot to ask: is Penang still hassle-free, no-excessive-documentation-required for tourist visa? There was a post about people not getting ED visa because more documentation was needed.

From reading Thaivisa, I get the impression that Penang is the first choice for tourist visa in the South, and Vientiane/Savannakhet elsewhere in Southeast Asia.

Currently in Bangkok, will go to Hat Yai by train on Jan 2nd, one night there (3rd to 4th, last day of my permission to stay) and then bus or train to Penang. Is travel from Hat Yai to Penang straightforward?

Apply for single entry tourist visa in Penang (I think I will go myself, no agent). One day processing is no problem, I plan to stay some days for sightseeing. But proof of leaving Thailand is a big issue, will it be required? I don't like to plan that far in advance and will apply for 30 day extension. I have two extensions from previous visas already.

Return to Thailand by land, take 20000 Baht in cash as proof of funding.

Did I forget anything? Any holidays or events in that week from Monday Jan 5th?

General note: Is there a table with an overview for visas for Thailand in South-East Asia, maximum number of entries for tourist visa they issue at that place, processing time, proof of leaving Thailand required or not, and so on?

Thanks for posting, I had similar thoughts, but still enough space (and at the rate I travel, passport will last almost the 10 years it is valid).

In my passport, stamps (Thailand and neighboring countries for visa runs) are rather haphazard, they turn over a new page even if space is left on a previous page.

I read the guide, but didn't follow the instructions. Currently I am going through a doldrum, haven't gotten an invitiation for weeks, hope it stays like this without further action.

I changed the following settings, maybe that helped:

Line - More - Settings - Notifications - Additional Services - Receive Messages un-chek

Line - More - Settings - Notifications - Group Invitations un-chek

(the menus are somewhat un-intuitive)

Tell your friends not to send the invitations, simple problem solved

Most of my friends are current or prospective sexual partner of low education, and with many of them I communicate in Thai (wouldn't know how say this in Thai) anyway I think they wouldn't remember or even worse there is a function to sent invitations to all friends or maybe it even is automatic once you start playing.

"You make it sound like you have no choice about using your phone on the bus or walking along the road"

I don't know if the message is important, or I wait for a message from someone, that's why I always look what it is when my phone vibrates, in most cases it's not important.

I am using Line for most of my communication. My phone is set on "silent", whenever I get a message or phone call it only vibrates.

There are these annoying invitation for games and other stuff from friends and even from people I don't know. How can I disable these, or at least set them to non-vibrating?

Similarly, I want to set some friends to non-vibrating (but I don't want to block the contact yet).

There is "notifications off" in the menu, I don't know what it does, it is set to "off" for all my contacts.

I travel a lot, and when I am standing in a bus, holding on the bus with one hand and operating my phone with the other hand, and find out it's one of the invitations or friend who I know to be talkative (I am not), it's annoying. Similar walking on the sidewalk (if there is any), one day I will fall into a hole or get driven over by a car while I am operating my mobile phone, only to find out it's an invitation to a game.

Thanks to everyone for their help, except those who (deliberately?) misunderstood my original post.

Just noticed a sign on several 7/11 shops that they celebrate the opening of their 8000th shop. So they must have a list of shop numbers, names and locations.

I once had a date at my local 7/11 shop, I even gave my friend the name of my soi in Thai, for a reason still unknown to me he went to a similar area, that had a 7/11 and an area for ball games similar to my area, and after prolonged calling on the phone and walking around I told him the number of the 7/11 branch, which was different from the branch he was at.

I befriended some Cambodian construction workers at their worksite, and they couldn't tell me where they stay after work. A truck picks them up, they know which direction they are going, but nothing more. Number of nearest 7/11 would have helped for after-work socialising.

When I am walking around, there places in populated areas where I can't see any 7/11 or Familiy Mart (their branches have unique numbers and names as well).

For starters, I would like an app that accesses my location (from GPS or WiFi or mobile network) and tells me where the closest 7/11 (or Family Mart) is.

As far as I gather from replies, some apps, websites or devices have some (many? most?) branches in their system, but a complete map with numbers and names is out of question.

5 Non-Violent Tricks to Deal with Stray Dogs

http://www.thewayofslowtravel.com/2013/12/28/5-non-violent-tricks-to-deal-with-stray-dogs/

I have been thinking about this subject and wondered about the following:

I have an umbrella with me most of the time (for protection from sun or rain). It has a spring, I press a button and it opens very fast. Would that scare a dog?

Has anyone personal experience with a dog attach? I can imagine winning over one dog, but I think two could kill me.

The dog will probably jump at a human, to chest or neck area, and the human will protect his body with his arm (if nothing else is at hand). The dog will bite the arm, and then?

Yes I'm serious.

And it will be good again in 1-2 days. If not it is something different.

It does not disappear, it has been like this for months.

I avoid direct sunlight, skin on my arms, legs, neck and face is visibly tanned.

What else can I do, apart from staying in, walking in the shade, using an umbrella (which I do already)? I don't like sun protection cream, but maybe that's the way to go?

When I press the skin on my lower arms or my face, there is a white spot which disappears within seconds.

My lower arms are light brown, my face is light red, my lower legs are darker brown, rest of my skin is white.

I avoid exposure to sun (stay in during daytime or walk in the shade or use an umbrella for protection from sun).

No itching or irritation of skin, but I don't remember this (white spot after poking arm or face) from Europe.

(This might help: I am German, 34 years old, normal statue, have been in Thailand for about 2 years.)

What is this?

I am looking for a map or list of all 7-eleven stores in Thailand.

Every store has a number and a name, and can be uses as a landmark or meeting point.

Neither googlemaps nor openstreetmap has all 7-eleven stores, 7-eleven website has no store locator, google search in English and Thai gave no results. The problem starts with how to write it, they call themselves 7-eleven or 7-11.

Banks in Germany (where I come from) have an ATM locator that shows ATM near to you, and supermarkets have a list and map of branches, something similar should exist for 7-11 (and similar, like Family Mart).

I have been drinking tap water in Bangkok for almost two years now (living in two places and drinking from water fountains all over the city), without negative effects; no short-time effects, I have to add; I am a chemist so I know what I am talking about: I identified three sources of problems:

heavy metals (in Bangladesh they have high level or arsenic in ground water, which makes people sick), inprobable in Bangkok

residues from pesticides, inprobable in Bangkok

bacteria, that might be the cause for some people getting sick, but your stomach can get used to them by increased exposure, which I did

(one might add plasticizers from PVC plastic tubing, which can screw up your hormone system - man grow tits and women grow hair and stuff like that)

I first believed the stuff they tell (that you will get sick), but as a scientist, I want to verify or falsify a statement, and unlike religion, in this case it is very easy, just by ingesting increasing amounts of tap water. Started with a spoon and after a month completely changed to tap water. At that time I lived on fifth floor, 1 Baht per liter is not much money, but I had to go down and up to get water!

The ultimate proof is soi dogs. They don't drink filtered water and don't get sick, I once saw a soi dog nibbling on a roadkill rat that was flat and already dry from days in the sun. But then, dogs live only 10 years, maybe because they don't drink filtered water?

For people of poor health or a sensitive stomach, I would advice drinking only filtered water.

This whole story is a fine example how easy it is can be to influence people, just tell the same (lies?) over and over again, and they will believe it. Nobody questions, nobody dares to do a simple experiment that can verify or falsify.

I prefer cats to dogs, I think they are cuter and more important, if a cat doesn't like you, it will go away, whereas a dog will bark at you.

To the op: do you understand dog body language? Are you afraid of dogs?

I am not a dog person, never had and never will have a dog, but understand a bit of dog body language and barking language and frequently encounter dogs who bark and come to me.

Attitude is very important. My mother (in Germany) is afraid of dogs, the dogs pick it up and bark at her, which makes her even more anxious, a vicious circle. Whereas I (in Thailand) know I am on public area and the dog is on public area, nothing to be afraid of. I talk to the dog in a soft voice like speaking to a baby (in German, here translated to English): "What a lovely doggy, you don't have to be afraid, uncle Christian won't harm you", and slowly walk past, making sure not to turn my back to the dog for too long, always look sidewards or back so I know where it is.

I don't know about looking into the eyes, I have read elsewhere that that's a sign of aggression.

I am against violence to animals, but something should be done to reduce number of soi dogs significantly.

I would advice against feeding them, that will make them approach the next person, expecting food.

At night situation is different. Even in public space, dogs can get aggressive, I take a detour if I see dogs and no people in an alley I want to take. Running at night on Phratamnak hill in Pattaya, I found myself encircled by dogs, didn't continue, slow retreat. No problem during daytime, many people, dogs sleeping or resting. Then down, there was another dog which got that close to me that I used the imaginary stone throw technique (making a fist and a throwing movement directed at the dog), which worked. (For dogs, throwing objects must be like magic.)

I use "EN-TH Dictionary Free" on an android mobile and am very happy with it, it is comprehensive and works offline.

(I read your op, you want it on an iPad, I don't know if it's available for iPad.)

Genders in some European languages are a nuisance. For your mother tongue, it comes naturally, but for foreign languages you have to learn noun and gender as a couple, and the genders for the same noun can be different in different languages. In some cases, a noun has different meaning depending on its gender (you could argue if this makes things more clear or obfuscates them). There is little, if nothing, gained from assigning genders to nouns, but it poses a lot of difficulty to the learner.

In German we have the additional difficulty of writing nouns with capital letters. If it was just nouns it would be easy, but adjectives or verbs used as nouns are written with capital letters as well, and some pronouns. Even I, as an educated native speaker, can't be bothered to learn and adhere to all the intricacies of capitalization.

Thai shows that you need no genders and no capital letters at all! Not even punctuation!

You (ChristianPFC) probably know more English words than you think. Here's an online test:

http://testyourvocab.com/

When I take this test it estimates that I know 38,500 English words. Sounds high, but as a lifelong reader I guess it's possible.

Thank you very much for the link. I get a result of 14,900 English words.

You (ChristianPFC) could understand a Spanish text because you studied it for a year, not because you have an advanced level in French

I have a very advanced level in French, because I am French myself; I just try to understand a Spanish text, knowing nothing in Spanish, I can tell you I understand only 2 % ;

I had Spanish about 15 years ago, evening classes, about 60 hours over one year. Due to knowing French and being one of the youngest participants, I progressed more than 10 times faster then the slowest participants.

I just checked (Bangkok article in wikipedia in Spanish and Dutch), I can understand about half of it (Spanish because I have advanced French and Dutch because I'm German). When I travel in Laos, if I take a close look and have an idea what a text is about, I can match the text with my idea because I understand intermediate Thai.

Teaching Tones to Foreigners

I don't know what you want to say with that post. I am not a native speaker, so I thought it is a grammar correction (and I'm always open for corrections), but then I asked a native speaker, and he said "The teaching of tones to foreigners" is correct for a headline.