xybadog

As someone else hinted above this is just a bribe to smooth the way to getting the US Naval base built because it's met opposition and been declined. Oh politics don't you just love it!

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May help if they reduced their fares to encourage more passengers. Just looked today and return fare from Heathrow to Bkk with THAI £1100. Same flight, same day only £750 with EVA. Both direct flights.

...for a spouse/partner plus 1 child it is £22,400 p.a....

Ooh, I was only £400 out, my memory's not as bad as I thought,

Thanks for that 7by7, saves me having to scout around for the webpage.

Not a case of not being dissuaded but I'm intelligent enough to be able to weigh up options and get best value for money, as well as a very good, informed knowledge of mobile communications in general. I only wanted to know what proof of ID was required as the network websites have no information on this.

I need her to able to use Facetime on the iPhone which uses approximately 15MB of data for each 5 minutes using 3G. For 10 minutes every day this works out to around 900MB per month. Include syncing email, fbook and twitter, for example, then the post-paid DTAC Smartphone 599 tariff should be ideal. 350 all n/work minutes and 2GB 3G allowance should be more than enough for only 599 baht per month. And at 1 baht per local sms and 8 baht per sms to me when I'm in the UK, 1000 baht per month would easily cover it.

Looking at pre-paid just the charge for 2GB of 3G data at 2 baht per minute, alone, would come to nearly double what I would pay for the post-paid option above and there would be charges for calls and sms on top of that too.

I have an AIS One-2-Call internet sim and I know from using that how high the data charges can be (I use a lot of data!) so wish I was spending enough time in LOS to justify getting post-paid for myself. In fact I'm contemplating it as it would still work out cheaper for me even if I continued paying for a post-paid sim for the time I'm away from LOS.

I'll check when I get home for the link to the UK immigration visa page and post it for you as I looked this up recently.

The minimum gross salary for partner and 1 child, if I remember correctly, is around £22k. It then goes up for each subsequent child.

If no one responds beforehand I'll post the link later.

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Thanks all. I think post paid is going to be best for what she needs as far as data Internet is concerned.

No worries about massive bills as she hardly uses the phone for calling and I can set a limiter on the phone so she doesn't go over her data allowance.

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Thanks for the info.

Maybe I should have explained that the phone would be for my Thai OH. She needs something with a decent internet package for using video calling to me when I'm away, as well as FB and Twitter, and the pre-paid tariffs would work out too expensive. I've seen a post-paid tariff on AIS that doesn't look to bad.

I just wanted to know what we would need to take with us for her to get a post-paid phone.

Can anyone tell me what evidence the networks require to obtain a contract mobile phone in LOS?

I know in the UK you need to have proof of address, proof of identity, credit check and credit/debit card.

I've got two True boxes running off one dish but the splitter isn't an internal switch box. I asked the guy who installed to change the LNB (the bulbous bit at the end of the arm on the satellite dish) to one that had two connectors instead of one. It only cost an extra 400 baht and the two cables are fed directly from the dish, one to each box. Hey presto, two receivers that work independently of each other.

Anyone aware of an English or Irish bar in Nongbua? I found a German bar opposite the new Tesco superstore. The bar was very cheap, 40 baht for a bottle of Chang but everyone was speaking German as you may expect and it was very cliquey (everyone in the bar sitting around one large table) so difficult to start a conversation anyway.

Therefore I was wondering if there are any English or Irish bars, maybe?

Btw, the new Lotus is a godsend. Made the mistake of going in on the first day and it was heaving with people and traffic.

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Thanks for the replies

I'll be flying into Udon Thani on Xmas day, early morning, and was wondering if anyone knows of any British bars doing Xmas dinner.

I've only spent 1 day in Udon before so don't know of any British bars. I've only heard of the Irish Clock but wouldn't have a clue where it is.

Any help appreciated.

Which bars/restaurant's are doing traditional Xmas lunch on Xmas day on Samui? Any recommendations?

Preferably Chaweng/Bophut area but open to proper suggestions.

Thanks for all the advice, certainly a lot of help.

Now, thinking ahead a bit, how do I find a list of centres for the English language test for the settlement visa? I'd prefer this to be taken care of as soon as possible in case there's a need to resit.

Preferably centres in Udon Thani, Nongbualamphu, Koh Samui or BKK (in that order).

So, it's been a month since you started this thread, how did you get on in the end?

I haven't tried yet. We'll probably try for the visa in about 6 months with a view to her coming to the UK around August.

Thanks all. It's just a shame it's such an involved process.

A lot of useful info. Thanks.

Thanks for the replies guys. Forgot I'd posted this. I'll get the gf to give that number a call.

Can you contact apple through their website?

The company are a nightmare to get a response from.

I'm asking because the iPhone is £100 cheaper in LoS than in UK

It won't be from Monday:)

Why's that?

I have such a feeling that it is as genuine as the ones in China

I read about these some time ago and that's why I started to wonder about the one in Chaweng.

Is the Apple Store in the Tesco Lotus in Chaweng genuine? I'm asking because the iPhone is £100 cheaper in LoS than in UK but when I've looked on Apple's website for their store locations there are none listed for Samui.

Anyone able to advise of a school near to Chaweng for English lessons? Seen Walen's thread, and their website but there's no way I'm paying up front for 6 months worth of lessons out of principle (really need somewhere who will accept payment per lesson or at the most monthly in advance).

Same thing happened to my gf about 2 weeks ago. She was offered B100 the day before the election. She took it but not sure if she voted for him as I forgot all about it until I read this OP.

My gf got her first UK 6 month visit visa after we had been together for only 6 months. She was not working, had no major commitments in Thailand at the time, I was pretty much living in Thailand with her though and I had no plans to move back to the UK. We used a local visa agent just to make sure we had everything in order and the whole process was very smooth. Much cheaper and better than using the extortionate expat visa companies here that provide the exact same service for many, many times the visa fee. For her next UK visas we did them ourselves. You have to fill in the application form online now and submit paperwork in person, its honestly not as harsh as everyone makes out as long as what you write on your application is valid and honest.

Good luck in your endeavours.

...but thanks for this advice, though

Do you mind if we ask , how long have you known her ?

Have you stayed here with her for a long time ? forgive the pun

How do you feel together ?

Think carefully mate , big move

I've been with her for 18 months now. I've visited her on 6 occasions in that time, spending much time at our home (I bought it but put it in her name) in Isaan. I know Koh Samui and BKK very well as does she through our travels together. I was going to Samui/BKK 4 times a year for a long time before I met her and know Thailand well, hence my, and her, hesitance at going to Pattaya/Phuket (more importantly she does not like these two places). Our relationship is solid so there are no worries for me or for her, otherwise I wouldn't even contemplate getting married to her.

We wouldn't be getting married for another 15/16 months yet anyway so we'd have been together over 2 and a half years by then. I'm wise to the "goings-on" in LOS I've even had steer friends in the right direction when they've been "lured" into questionable relationships with thai females.

In summary, I'm not a LOS virgin (no pun intended)

For me, I couldn't help but laugh at your "I'm no LOS virgin" after coming on holiday here a whole 6 times , already buying a house for your tilac, planning on marrying her after spending 6 holidays with her and recounting a story that was word for word exactly what I've seen told 1,000 times by men completely rolled over by a lovely innocent Isaan girl who they met here on their first trip. Anyways, I wish you all the best.

My gf got her first UK 6 month visit visa after we had been together for only 6 months. She was not working, had no major commitments in Thailand at the time, I was pretty much living in Thailand with her though and I had no plans to move back to the UK. We used a local visa agent just to make sure we had everything in order and the whole process was very smooth. Much cheaper and better than using the extortionate expat visa companies here that provide the exact same service for many, many times the visa fee. For her next UK visas we did them ourselves. You have to fill in the application form online now and submit paperwork in person, its honestly not as harsh as everyone makes out as long as what you write on your application is valid and honest.

Good luck in your endeavours.

So glad I could make you laugh but maybe you should have read the post properly and not made assumptions!

I've been to LOS more than 6 times because if you read the post properly it says I've visited HER 6 times (2 months each time) in 18 months and I also state I've been going to Samui and BKK for a long time (9 years) before I met her. And I've only been in a relationship with her for 18 months but known her for around 3 years. I've also had a previous relationship with a thai gf. Regarding the house, not that I have to justify it but just so you can get some perspective, we started our relationship 18 months ago but I only bought the house (which she already lived in) back in April of this year.

Apologies that I've obviously not as much experience as yourself in Thailand but I think 9 years, spending on average 6 months per year in LOS, does qualify me as having "popped my Thailand cherry". Maybe not, please let me know!