khunPer

1 hour ago, Tropicalevo said:

I have been told that BA is applying to increase the number of flights in per day from the current 50, to 73.

Can anyone confirm this please?

Yes, it's correct, it's been mention in the news.

On 2/16/2024 at 5:27 AM, eboy said:

I am in the process of applying for a Non-O retirement visa. In order to document my residence, Immigration requires a map, for some strange reason (like Thailand is terra incognita and they don't know where things are). So I submitted a printout from Google Maps.

 

NO! It must be a hand-drawn map. I told the agent: "I think Google can do a better job drawing a map than I can." She glared at me like I was Public Enemy Number 1. "No! It must be hand-drawn."

 

This is just a way to annoy and harass visa applicants, isn't it? Or is there a reason that I'm missing? What if they don't like my drawing??? Has anyone else experienced this nonsense?

A "hand drawn map" is a map drawn by hand – the old-fashioned Thai-way of showing way to your house number.

No matter what you might think is better, if the immigration office asks for a "hand drawn map", then it has to be that. My local immigration office asks for both a Google Earth print with marked home position and co-ordinates, and the simple old-fashioned hand drawn map.

It's not that difficult – I had to draw my first map on the floor in the immigration office after being handed an A4 paper, a ruler and a pen... Today I've scanned my excellent later map-drawing and use the same print every year – as I don't move – which has been accepted. I've removed my address in gray rectangle and the cross with my house, to make my drawing anonymizes to share it as example...

6 hours ago, JimTripper said:

It's a good time to start. Let us know how it goes. Please don't touch the food or eating utensils at the buffet, it can spread sickness.

Thanks, but not really, I'm really not interested...

23 hours ago, up2you2 said:

To renew my retirement visa annually, the minimum amount that has to held in my account cannot fall below 400,000 Baht for seven months of the year, and not fall below 800,000 Baht for the remaining five months of the year.

Today I was told by a senior Thai Immigration Officer, that even if funds were required for a hospital expense, if my funds in my account fell below the above limits, then I would no longer be able to renew my Thai retirement visa automatically.

When this law and requirement was brought into force, I do remember hearing something about the fact that these funds were to be put aside in the event of health issues.
To pay hospitals bills, but seeming that is not the case, in fact from what I was lead to believe today, they simple cannot be touched if one wishes to renew their retirement visa.

In the event that what I have stated here is incorrect, can anyone point to an English translation of the Thai law, that states categorically that these funds can be used for hospital bills, without denying one's annual visa renewal?
 

You cannot extend your stay if your fund deposit falls below the required amounts.

Yes, you can use money for hospitalization, but then you can not extend your stay and need to return to your home country or make a visa run for a new non-immigrant O-visa, fulfilling the financial requirements.

The rules changed about a decade ago, before that you only needed to show the deposit with three month maturing before application for extension of stay, and longer back just show that you had the money.

Yes, you always need ID when flying. A nine year old is old enough for an ID-card (7 years); otherwise a birth certificate (perhaps even a photocopy) might do it as identification – my girlfriend and I used the latter, before our daughter was old enough for a Thai ID-card. You should ask the airline, what they require of proof of identity for a nine year old child.

On 2/15/2024 at 4:18 AM, FritsSikkink said:

They have dogs who can smell money too.

– especially dirty money, even if they have been washed...😀

However, even money from Vietnam and similar countries comes in a big pile of notes, it's relative small money in value; not a problem.

On 2/15/2024 at 9:15 AM, uttradit said:

I get hit on a lot. Walking in a park, in a shop. It's a nice feeling. 

All the time women tries to touch me, or hit me in my butt – sometimes I even have to run away, just like when I was playing rock music in the 1960s...😎

On 2/15/2024 at 3:34 AM, Prubangboy said:

Have you ever attended such a meeting?

No, never been interested...

12 hours ago, webfact said:

“There might probably be two prime ministers at the same time. (Thaksin) might suddenly look healthy and kicking after release on parole and go places to visit the people throughout the country,”...

Sounds correct...

On 2/13/2024 at 2:02 AM, mirage said:

A question for foreigners who have the car registered in your own name.  Do you have to get a letter from immigration every year when you re-tax the car ?. 

Not where I live – Samui – I have my insurance agent to do the renewal job for free, it's including in the insurance renewal.

8 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

I am perfectly OK with eating ALL Thai food here in Thailand.

 

But, what about if a friend of mine asked me to share a dish of steak tartare?

 

Would sharing this dish with my friend be safe for me?

 

Specifically, I am asking about the quality of the butchery, and the preparation of the dish, and then the serving of the dish.

 

So, should I eat it?

 

What do you think?

 

Regards,

Gamma

Thais are eating raw beef meat – i.e., tartar – and have survived. I've also survived, but I buy my beef meat in Makro. However, be aware of the raw egg on top of the steak tartar...

23 hours ago, twozeds said:

My first question is: If I do renew my UK passport will I be allowed to enter Thailand with my new passport and still use my retirement visa and re-entry visa which will then be stamped in my old passport. I did briefly ask the guy who did the retirement visa and he said it should be ok, but I just wondered if any of our members had actual experience of doing this?

When a passport is cancelled, the stamp will say: "CANCELLED. Valid visas are still valid" or something like that. Show both passports on re-entry, as your extension of stay and your re-entry permit are in the old passport.

Remember to update everywhere your passport number is used for verification, for example: Bank accounts, driver's license (you'll need to change to a new with same expiry date), certain loyalty cards, etc. You'll need to bring both passports, if you have not yet transferred your original visa from old passport to new passport; when doing that your old passport number will be written together with the visa rubber-stamp.

20 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Thanks for the laugh ( I know it was unintentional ). Building something on land that they had no right to is so typically Thai that I just had to laugh.

 

I'm very happy to hear that the airport never got finished- IMO it would have been the end of Phangan as the last refuge from the flashpacker menace. Most flashpackers won't travel with us peasants and it has to be by air or not at all.

With any luck the concrete road they were building on the East coast didn't get finished. I was at Haad Khom after it reached there and the flashpacker palaces were already being built. It'd be sad if it reached Bottle or Than Sadet

There's a photo of the airport area here...

And the article about the suspended construction in the link HERE.

"The airport construction project on Koh Phangan by commuter carrier Kan Air has trespassed on Than Sadet National Park, Surat Thani deputy governor Ouaychai Innak said on Wednesday.

Mr Ouaychai said an inspection carried out by forestry officials found part of the land on a mountain in Thong Nai Pan bay which had been prepared for the planned airport construction had encroached on Thansadet National Park land. The encroached areas covered about 20 rai.

He said authorities had filed a complaint with police."

However, you can already fly direct to Koh Phangan, but you need to use Microsoft Flight Simulator for the trip...

Emporium in Bangkok has a selection of "elegant fashion jewelry" possibilities, for example Cartier and Tiffany.

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Is there an airport on Phangan?

Google is giving me contradictory information.

I know one was started, but happily wasn't completed.

No. But there was a project for one, up north-west and they began about a decade ago to construct a runway of around 1100 meters, which could just handle an ATR42/72 plane. But they didn't have user rights to all the land they used, so the project stopped.

On 2/10/2024 at 6:00 AM, flyingtlger said:

Have you ever smoke or ingested marijuana?

Yes, last time in 1970...😎

On 2/9/2024 at 6:49 AM, Crossy said:

Once you have your new passport you need to go to your local immigration and transfer the stamps, it's supposed to be a free service.

However, some immigration offices might charge you a modest fee; I paid 500 baht for the service, which is actually all right.

Normally you can change the extension of stay to be based on retirement after working in Thailand, without changing the visa that you originally entered on. I'm however, not sure if that will work with an non-ED, it works with non-B. You should check with the local immigration office if they accept it.

5 hours ago, pixelaoffy said:

I have been making enquiries about  a Dengue fever vaccine in Thailand and discovered the one used called Qdenga is avaible . Problem  is it only administered up to 60 years of age . Don't know why. I had Dengue fever last year and what is important to know is you are not immune from being infeceted again . Thailand is getting higher than normal numbers of Dengue fever reported cases even though its not rainy season .

https://www.nationthailand.com/thailand/general/40035336

Some private clinics and hospitals might vaccinate you; I have an elder retired foreign friend, who just yesterday got vaccinated in a clinic.

There are four variants of dengue. You are immune for further infection from to the one you already had. However, you are not immune to the three other variants.

You need two vaccinations with Qdenga with three month separation to be covered about 60-80 percent, and around 90 percent for hospitalization.

8 hours ago, georgegeorgia said:

Where was you in 2004?

What country? What was you doing ?

How has your life changed since 2004?

 

Who were the famous deaths in 2004?

Where was you in 2004?

Exactly same place as I am now, same beach and same sand.

What country?

Thailand. of course.

What was you doing ?

Part time holiday, now I'm on full time holiday.

How has your life changed since 2004?

I decided for early retirement and moved permanently to Thailand.

Who were the famous deaths in 2004?

I don't care.

On 2/7/2024 at 3:45 AM, rhino533 said:

Quick question. My Mom is here from Canada. She is staying with my wife and I at our house for a month. Do we have to fill out a TM30 form? She has a 30 day entry stamp. Thank for any replies!

In principle yes, in practice you might not need it.

17 hours ago, SailingHome said:

So being on a lease with no intended move out date is not ok? I'm not sure but I think the sire said it is ok.

What about the lack of visa info and such? Sadly, immigration will no longer answer emails from me or the Messenger chat. For a month I have been asking questions how I can do this so I can renew my visa. They got tired of telling me to have the owner do it - it is their job.

In reply to "So being on a lease with no intended move out date is not ok?"...
You cannot stay longer than your permission to stay; i.e., the date stamped in your passport.