Timbob

Flight does not need to be direct. I flew to Phuket last week from London, via Abu Dhabi. 

Just to update.... I got an email today saying my application has been approved. I did not use an agent nor did I re-apply, although I was thinking of doing so. It took 13 days in the end, which is very slack. But all good now.

32 minutes ago, SCOTT FITZGERSLD said:

you cannot tell how they work or think.

in my case they simply did not reply at all until i lost my flight.

and yes, i did send a second application and they ignored it too (got the registration

numbers on both requests but no more).

That sucks. What a nightmare.

I guess I'm relaxed at the moment but I won't be in a week's time if I've not heard anything. I'm definitely not paying for an agent. I've waiting 20 months so worst case scenario I'll wait longer.

It did say "3 to 7 working days" so I'm still within that, but only just.

I applied on 5th January and have yet to be approved either. My flight to Phuket is on 26th.

I'm not overly concerned as I think it's logical that they approve those who are flying first. That said, I would like confirmation sooner or later for peace of mind.

Please update the thread if you get approval. I will do likewise.

Starfish Bar & Restaurant in Patong do a superb full English, including a proper sausage and very decent bacon.

Beware of Qatar Airways. I was due to return from Phuket to London via Doha with Qatar Airways in late April. On Friday I checked on Qatar's website and they had rescheduled the Phuket to Doha flight. It landed 11 hours AFTER the Doha to London flight. Then I got an email from the travel agent saying my flight had been cancelled and I would get a voucher! I have not contacted them as they are super busy. I have booked a return with Thai Airways for this week and will deal with any refund at a later date.

A bogus claim and I'm glad they lost.

I agree with Rick Beato:

1 hour ago, AmericanMale said:

What kind of info are people providing for the letter from employer section? I own a UK Ltd. company (ignore screen name) so I am my own boss.

 

Is it just the self assessment and company registration that is required, or do I have to provide additional documentation?

Same situation. Here is what I wrote in the letter from the employer:

Dear Sir / Madam,

I wish to apply for a multiple entry tourist visa to Thailand. I have included all the necessary paperwork.

I have included my company bank statements for the past 6 months, in addition to my personal account statements. These have been officially stamped by my bank. I am the sole owner / director of my company (xxxxxxxxx Ltd) and have immediate and unrestricted access to these funds. I trust this should satisfy the financial requirements.

Since I do not have an employer (technically I am ‘employed’ by my own company as a company director – but it would be odd to write a letter about me, from me) I have included my self-assessment tax return and a copy of my companies registration document.

I have also included a copy of my air ticket and my initial hotel reservation.

I have included a postal order for the amount of £135, to cover the visa fee and return postage of my passport.

Yours Sincerely,

xxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxx

On 7/9/2018 at 1:40 AM, alfieconn said:

Crikey, i bet even the Lefties on here are nearly getting Patriotic !

 

 

Love it!

But as my main man Jezza once said "Have you noticed how we only win the World Cup under a Labour government."

8 minutes ago, BangrakBob said:

Thing is Henderson is not a penalty taker, he just had the bottle to step up and do what was asked. At least he's playing the real captain's role well, forgot Kane was on the park in the last 25 mins.

Both Kane and Henderson are vital cogs in this team. They are both playing great. Personally I don't care who's captain. It's not cricket after all. 

As for the penalty shootout.... yeah, kudos to anyone who steps up. Where was Vardy? 

2 minutes ago, xylophone said:

Well Rashford's close control can enable him to get thru/past defenders with little space and L/C seems to have similar abilities BUT only on occasions!

Agreed. L/C looked good as a sub against Tunisia but didn't do enough against Belgium when he started. 

Lingard has been good in parts but Sterling and Dele have been quite poor. I think one or both may be dropped against Sweden.

It's such a shame 'The Ox' got injured. He'd be great in this team.

6 minutes ago, possum1931 said:

In Scotland these long "summer" days can have lots of rain and wind.

I've never been to Scotland.

4 hours ago, RickG16 said:

And one more thing..... any suggestions on reasonably priced guesthouses / hotels in Ranong? 

 

Not after luxury but don't want any hygiene problems either.

 

Cheers

I did the Ranong visa run just over a month ago. I stayed at a place called "Petch Ranong @Town ", which I booked via Agoda. It was less than 1,000 THB and it was great value for money. If you stay there then just around the corner you'll find some excellent restaurants. I would highly recommend 'The Farmhouse', which served up top quality Thai and Farang food. They also had live music. 

1 hour ago, azzipyum said:

From where did you get a boat and where in Myanmar did you go? You applied for Myanmar visa?

Ubonjoe has already answered this. But just to confirm, you don't need a visa. You just pay $10 and are not allowed to leave the town. I was there for about 10 minutes before getting the same boat back. Really easy and far better than flying somewhere. FYI the boat cost 600 baht, but it's negotiable and you could get it cheaper if you haggle. I couldn't be bothered as I thought it was a fair price.  

I looked into changing my flight back by one day. I knew before I contacted them (Etihad) that it would probably be expensive, but worth asking just in case. They just quoted me £498!!! That's almost the cost of the entire return trip, so it's safe to say that I'll definitely not be changing my flight.

10 minutes ago, Mattd said:

Can't your GF take a day off, then time your arrival back on 26th February?

Normally one day of overstay is not an issue, but if you have been getting a grilling from immigration, then perhaps best not to antagonise.

Unfortunately she can't. She has a new job at a law office and is in the 'probation' phase, only getting national holidays off. Calling in sick would not look good either.

I'd rather not overstay. I will be back in the UK for 2 maybe 3 months so won't be returning right away, so hopefully this will help.

But I've got a month to decide so will think of all options. Maybe I should just pay 1,900 for a 30-day extension, even though I only need one day. If it prevents potential future hassles then it may be worth it.

Just now, Tanoshi said:

It's never good to have an overstay stamp in your passport.

 

Can't you change your plans and leave Thailand the following weekend, 3/4th March. That would resolve all your issues.

I can't leave the following weekend as my METV is valid until the 28th February. 

Last weekend we (girlfriend and I) drove from Phuket to Ranong and got the boat to Myanmar. I want to do the same again and she only gets weekends off. I could drive myself, but would prefer not to and I don't want to get a minibus (lunatic drivers). I don't want to fly either, as like I said, I got heavily questioned last time. So I think it's going to have to be the one day overstay. Not ideal, but probably best option.

5 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

From reports I have seen Phuket will charge the overstay fine.

Okay, I'm not surprised. I got a bit of a grilling by the IO last time I entered at Phuket (which is why I'm now not flying on my 'runs' out of the country). I'll get my 500 baht ready.

Thanks for all your advice. Very much appreciated.

2 minutes ago, ubonjoe said:

That was a typo that is fixed now. It was meant to be not.

A one day overstay is nothing to worry about since it is so common. That is why they waive the fine at some airports.

People have had much longer overstays and had no problems because they they had the stamp.

Okay, great. Thank you very much.

I am leaving from Phuket, not either Bangkok airports. So I hope they have the same policy.