sikishrory

My DTV approved at HCMC today. Muay Thai. 3.5 business days. Used the same documents that were presented in my previous failed application at Savannakhet.

I'll add wecafe to the list. Lots of faults but the Myanmar service is good and the food is generally decent and cheap. Add fold sourdough and cafe mahlzeit for bacon and eggs

Little edo, tojiro/soyon my goto sushi joints. Zen in the mall maybe.

Got it through work. Very simple.

It's a very thorough airport. That's the same lady took me to a side room there and went through everything and questioned me. At the end I asked them why and they just said it was because i flew from Bangkok.

Reading a few of these stories per year has forever changed the sanctity of the hong nam for me.

Insect spray is genius.. never heard that one. Stick that up ya super sensitive snout

Is it legal in UK? Normal in USA. I thought we call it corruption in Australia. Going by the case of Frank Madafferis donations to Australian labor party. Found in court to be corruption.

Is there some kind of money involved here. Paper needs news. "Hey get us a good photo of an overstayer". 500 baht. Got yourself a story

Made in Malaysia by "Move Travel Sdn Bhd" formally "AirAsia Travel Sdn Bhd" as far as I can tell. Like so many apps and websites made in this region. It's garbage. If I had one of the most will known airlines in the world I would probably get someone capable to make the app.

"Phuket prepares for traffic jams and overcrowding"

Phuket already has a couple of things for this. https://www.scholarsofsustenance.org/sos-thailand I have donated food in the past to an orphanage and also the disabled place in Phuket Town regularly welcomes food donations I believe.

Laos is online as far as booking the appointments. Until next year when they change the system again. I think the appointments are all full for this year and the current system

Because I've lived in Thailand for 13 years have no connections or ability to provide a home country document to show home country embassy that i reside there. As mentioned the trip was a mess from the start incorrectly booking travel to Vientiane

Weak as piss

Report of my failed DTV application based on muay thai at savannakhet this morning. Arrived at 8.37am. Just 3 people ahead of me in the queue. No mass lines like in google reviews. Opened at 9. I came prepared with literally about 50 documents for every scenario I could think of. Backup applications, extra photos, 5 pens, copies of everything, backup bank statements showing well beyond the required amount. However I handed over just the required docs: Passport and signed copy 10,000b unmarked crisp bills. Application form. A statement from kasikorn with 1.2 mill baht in there for over 6 months in thai language and stamped by the bank. Muay thai docs (all signed): Acceptance letter with letterhead in thai and english. Very well written and professional from the gym. A copy of their registration as a muay thai gym with the sports authority of thailand. A copy of the persons Thai id card the registered the place as a gym in the above document. A copy of the receipt for 12,000 baht. Letterhead etc. She flicked through briefly in about 3 seconds. Didn't really read anything. Said she wants the "business licence". I pointed out there is a copy of the registration as a muay thai gym in front of her. Nope. I get the business licence emailed through and print it and return to the window. Try again. This time she looks more closely and actually reads the documents I hand over. Now she has a problem with the business licence having a different name to the gym. This gym has a cafe and few other things going on. Company names do not always match the business name as is common knowledge. Anyway nope. She gives me a phone number and says they can call her. I send that to the gym owner and sit refreshing my crap internet in gmail for 30 mins. It gets to 10.50am queue closing in ten minutes so I give it a last try... "Did they call"? No she says. I see in my email the gym says they will try to call. I have given up. I say to her I spent 50,000 baht, catch 6 planes to come here for a week - "you can't do anything"? Nope. I tried to find successful DTV stories online for this embassy. I think there is 1. Otherwise I see about 3 similar fail reports. I thought I had a better chance as I was using muay thai (less complicated) and the docs from the gym seemed sufficient. I also could see holes in some of the other stories I read. Bank statement not notarised, not long enough, no letters from company etc. I wouldn't have chose here but I messed up and booked a plane and hotel to do it in vientiane before seeing the appointments were unavailble until 19 Dec. I did check and they appeared to be availble but when you actually click they are not available. So instead of lose the flights and room I switched to this nightmare embassy. I would say to anyone wanting to do DTV at Savannakhet just don't. Don't bother. Don't think you are different or have all the docs more than the failed people before you. The lady is looking for any little thing she can. I can see the motor running in her little head scanning for whatever she can think of to deny you next. A man before me seemed to be applying for a tourist visa. The lady requested a copy of his work permit as he previously had a non-b. So I also copied that accross the road incase as previously I was non-b. The queue seemed mostly myanmar nationals. Saw a couple of USA, filipino, laos, france, arab as well. It was not very busy. Other people were getting denied too and having lots of issues with the lady. Not sure the plan now but I guess I will be entering visa exempt on my flight back then applying for DTV again in the region or in Australia. I have to re-evaluate. Hope this helps someone as there were barely any reports online for this embassy.

Put a ring in the middle of the street and let them fight. Or send them to the army

This could be a trick question. You answer <60 days and she decides to stamp you visa exempt instead. I just read a report online of something similar that I'm having trouble finding now. That was a different scenario but just got me thinking

"State" must be happy

He was a good friend and my sous chef for a number of years. Quite well known and popular around the dock in Phuket for his funny and mischievous personality. He worked on yachts not cruise ships. He was unfortunately not a healthy guy. Diabetic and overweight which would have been the main factor. I think the story is a bit unnecessarily graphic but understand it's a translation from khasod thai. RIP Chef Thum

Phuket Central

As an update to this. I filled out the Thai form and went to the bank today to hand it in as I had to go there for something else anyway. I handed it over and she said "you take a picture and send in your email". "You have it in your email"? Clearly not wanting to accept it. Despite explaining that the bank told me I can hand it into the branch. As I sat down to do this I noticed an older man next to me was trying to do exactly the same thing with the same form and getting the same answer. Except that he was explaining he can't do it because his house was flooded and computer damaged etc. I calmly ignored my tellers smug refusal and proceeded to do what I was really there for. Getting a statement for the DTV visa. After this was done the teller mentioned that she had updated the other tax form for me and I no longer need to do it. Except she made me sign the signature page again in front of her for some reason. I don't know what changed her mind tbh. As I was walking out the older man that was next to me was at a nearby bench fumbling with the stupid form trying to take pictures and send it and stuff because his teller evdently did not let him give it to her. So in typical Thai fashion no consistency or standards in the service they give and no F's given. I felt like mentioning to him on my way out that they just did it for me but I knew it wouldn't have helped anything anyway.

Australia is not far behind I imagine

Sort out the hair. Problem solved.

Thai banks call centres are 7 days a week in my experience. Regardless I just spoke to them.