gray42

Thanks I decided to do what you recommended. I would still like recommendations on where to get my reels cleaned on Samui if you know of some places...

I have a small size Shimano spinning reel that I need cleaned, greased, etc. Are there fishing stores on Samui that can do this, or should I have it cleaned in the United States before leaving for Samui? If there are places on Samui to have this done, about what is the cost?

Brought over three dogs two years ago on three separate flights--stop by and meet the sometime, Jalansantiwong, and we'll see who eats who--and I have attached a PDF from the Thai Department of Suchnsuch for you to peruse.

I have no idea whether my dogs were cargo or baggage - two were in kennels and flew downstairs, the other, being a rescue dog, got to fly upstairs and even got a couple of free meals and ice cream. But that was United.

Days prior to departure, I had my vet give them a check and type up a letter stating all were up to date on vac's, and had had a check-up with clean bill of health. Then went to Federal vet with Dept of Ag, to get paper. You do NOT take your dog to him/her, don't ever even see him; the secreatry will give you a form that you fill out, then she takes it into the fed vet's office and has him/her sign it, then she puts a seal on it, you give her too much money for the three minutes this all took, and you're on your way.

Dogs must be in approved kennel, I bought at Pet Smart.

That's it for prep. Oh, kennel needs water bottle. Duh.

At BKK I went from Immigration a couple hundred feet to the Thai vet's office with my papers, stopping along the way to pick up my dog(s). Put them on a cart and wheeled them to his office where he proceeded not to examine them, just smiled, had me fill out a paper or two (my address, etc) and pay him, I think, 300 baht per dog and I was on my way.

Had to pay another, I believe, 1000 baht to go through customs, official receipt provided, and out the door, across the reception area and over to the parking garage for a well deserved peeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

I drove from there. As for you, I would guess that you would put Fido back in the kennel, and wait for your next flight.

I had a contact at the airport. He met me at the gate coming off the plane and escorted me through diplo immigration (10 lines, no waiting) and made sure the dogs were brought to the terminal asap, and took care of my bags on another cart, and also stood by while I did my business with the vet. I think I gave him 500 baht each time. Just going through diplomatic at midnight, in leass than 30 seconds, while others were standing in line for 30 minutes, was worth that. PM me if you want his contact number.

Easy. Don't sweat it.

Oh, unless you have one of the breeds that are not allowed to be brought in? That would be the Pits!

Great info! Thank you for this Robert. Just having SOME idea of the customs/vet process once I get to BKK makes me feel better. I would like to get in touch with your contact. I will PM you. Also thank you for the attachment.

A few things. Firstly, are you sure the airline will let you check the dog as baggage (many do not allow large dogs to go this way any more) - I brought a dog in 2 years ago and was forced to use cargo as no airline would allow them to travel as baggage (depends on what you mean by a big dog too - mine was 60kg). If you do go cargo, use a Thai agent and then you will not get ripped off - they have set under-counter fees agreed and move through very quickly - they will then bring the dog to you in BKK outside the airport.

In the past dogs have been known to die on lay-overs - as they are often left in their crates on the hot runway waiting for re-loading. Another reason to use cargo - they go direct in a cargo plane. Its a good idea to try and ensure the layover is at night for this reason.

As to the vet - I had to have all the papers first - then fax them ahead to some Thai office (can't remember the exact details) where they completed a form and faxed it back (in my case we faxed it to the agent and he took it to the office and got the form - small fee for that) - there was no Thailand side check at all. Their has to be a vet check 24 hours or 48 hrs (can't remember exactly again) before shipping (USA side in your case) , but that is just a check. Must have all vaccinations and up to date rabbies shot BEFORE leaving (used to be OK to do it Thai side, but this changed two weeks before we shipped!).

If you are interested in a good Thai side agent, then PM me and I'll try and dig out his details from my emails - prices quoted up front (with a give or take factor due to under table stuff - we are talking $50 max variance) and it all went through just fine.

Thanks for the info. My dog is actually closer to a medium sized dog. About 28kg. I looked into an agent, but here in the USA. It was close to $4,000 for them to ship the dog! Waay too expensive. What range do you think a Thai agent would charge?

Ahhh Woof! no idea you might also try on the Samui forum for more advice on the internal flight.

...some knowledgeable posters there especially on dogs.

Best of luck!!

Thanks Smokie, but Samui isn't what I'm worried about. I've heard that's a great airport. I'm just worried about BKK

I'll be flying into BKK from the USA, then on to Koh Samui. Both flights are with Thai Airways. I'll have a large dog with me that I will check in as "excess baggage" (instead of as cargo, which I was told opens you up to being ripped off). In BKK I'll have a 9 hour layover before leaving for Koh Samui. Once in BKK I'll also need to take my dog to the airport vet to get the import papers. I'm wondering with the long layover and the flight transfer, will I need to go pick up my dog in his crate and all my other bags, and then recheck them in for the Koh Samui flight, and THEN get my dog checked out? Will they bring my dog to the airport vet for me? If I have to pick up my dog and all my bags, I'll have a LOT of stuff. I won't be able to transport it on my own. Will there be people at the airport who can help me with this?

I'm also wondering if during the 9 hour layover, will I be able to take my dog out of the airport to pee? Or is there a place inside the airport where he can pee?

I called Thai Airways but they didn't seem too sure of the process. If anybody has experience with this type of situation I'd really appreciate some advice.

Thanks

Good job on the video. I'm moving to Thailand soon, but haven't been before, so this gives me a good idea of the nightlife in Patong. Thanks

Just another thought to throw into the mix, most 6500B's that are around are all getting quite old now, (mine are both >10 years old now) so if you have one, or buy one, you may want to look into upgrading the drag system. Especially if using high poundage braid, which is much stronger than what the reel was originally designed for.

The upgrade is quite cheap (500 Baht ish) and only takes 10-15 minutes, but its best to do it together with a complete clean and new grease, which takes an hour or so.

Personally, I much prefer spinning reels, buts that because I'm useless at casting with conventional / multiplier reels, especially those that have not been designed for casting, which will be much more susceptible to backlash.

I was like you b4, but now i am reformed. I like reels now.. but only for bungsamran. Their drags are superior. Other places you dont need that much power .

Yeah I think most people eventually migrate on to conventional reels, but the prospect of losing so much time due to birds nests, when I could be fishing.... well.... let's just say.. maybe later

I learned how to cast a conventional reel that didn't have a magnetic cast control, so it took quite a while to learn, but lots of reels now have magnetic cast control which makes it very easy to cast without bird nests. just dial the cast control way up while you're learning and slowly work your way down until you get the hang of it. Everyone will birds nest every now and then... it's inevitable. But I have my spinning reels get twisted up every now and then also.

I was like you b4, but now i am reformed. I like reels now.. but only for bungsamran. Their drags are superior. Other places you dont need that much power .

I've always used conventional reels for big fish. Using spinning reels is going to be new for me I still plain to mainly use my conventional reels, but I want some good spinning reels as an alternative.

Thanks a lot for the info guys

I guess now is the time to say that I actually won't be fishing Bungsamran, but TopCats on Koh Samui where I'll be living. I was using Bungsamran as an example since that seems to be a park everyone knows about. Do you guys have any experience with TopCats on Koh Samui? Should a 12000 size spinning reel be good for that park?

Fishing in thailand converted me to multiplier reels, Few years ago i bought my first multiplier and cant imagine going back to a spinning reel,

Buy yourself a nice accurate BX400-500 and send your thumb to school

See now you got me leaning towards getting a pair of new Avets or Accurates... :bah: Sometimes fishing with a spinning reel is so much nicer, especially if you're not catching big fish that day. Using a heavy duty saltwater reel on smaller fish is boring, but obviously there's the chance something larger will bite......

Decisions, decisions, decisions.....

Fishing in thailand converted me to multiplier reels, Few years ago i bought my first multiplier and cant imagine going back to a spinning reel,

Buy yourself a nice accurate BX400-500 and send your thumb to school

I've never heard the term "multiplier" reel, but I think it's the same as what we call a conventional reel here in the United States, right? I have quite a few conventional saltwater reels, but I was hoping to find a good spinning reel with a baitrunner feature that I could use. Sounds like maybe no spinning reel with a baitrunner except for maybe the old model Shimano Baitrunners are up to the task of Bungsamran? I could just get some more multiplier reels, but then I wouldn't have any heavy duty spinning reels.

I would only be fishing at a fishing park like Bungsamran on occasion. Not often at all. Do you think the Shimano Thunnus 12000 could handle a couple trips a year to a fishing park in Thailand?

I want to use the same spinning reels when fishing in the ocean for king mackerel, barracuda, snapper as the reels that i'm going to use for large catfish in parks like Bungsamran. I am wondering what size of reel will work for both ocean and large freshwater fish. I am looking at the Shimano Thunnus CI4 reel in either the 8000 or 12000 size... http://www.basspro.com/Shimano-Thunnus-CI%3Csup%3E4%3C/sup%3E-Saltwater-Spinning-Reels/product/10210060/-1743962 Will the 8000 size be large enough?

Gray 42,

When are you getting into Samui. My offshore boat should be there about August 1, shipping over from the US. Would like to catch up with you sooner rather than later.

My interest is primarily in offhsore fishing. I do not think there is much in the way of inshore fishing, once you head out of Samui, you are in blue water. Even the pass between the mainland is said to hold a lot of cuda and kings.

Check out the posts in the SE Thailand forum wher I just put up some pics of my last trip in the states and the boat that is coming in.

Samui Steve

Steve, sending you a PM. Thanks

are you sure you donot have some of the darkside in you

I don't want the darkside in me or anywhere near my buttocks region.

Whats wrong with ladyboys their just men in dresses hehehe. Unless you go looking probably will never find one.

This is what I like to hear! All you expats need to stop messin' with the new guy.

You're just messin' with me...... right?

I got 11 out of 12. There are a lot of khatoeys that look a lot more like women than those on this test.

I got 11 out of 12 too. Maybe I'm better prepared than I thought I was?

Just don't get as "drunk" as the guys in Hangover 2 and you should be ok.

That's not exactly reassuring

I'm moving to Thailand in a couple months. When I tell people, more often than not the topic of ladyboys comes up, especially with younger people and espectially since Hangover 2. According to some people here in the United States, ladyboys are waiting around every corner in Bangkok to "trick" an unsuspecting foreigner. Now, I realize that's not true, but I'm also wondering how common ladyboys are. Personally, I'm not gay and have no interest in ladyboys. Why I'm posting this is because I've seen pictures of them and I would never in a million years be able to tell them apart from a real woman. So, in regular bars (meaning not a gay bar, or ladyboy bar) how likely is it that you'll encounter ladyboys? And in that case, how likely is it that they'll hit on a guy and maybe take it further without telling them they haven't always been a "lady"?

Sarah Palin is on Thaivisa

I was hoping to get away from United States politics when I moved to Thailand... maybe that's a pipe dream.

Strictly speaking, the multiple-entry non-B visa is intended for people who need to travel to Thailand for business purposes several times a year, whereas you apparently plan to use it for a continuous stay of one year, interrupted only by a day-trip to a neighbouring every 90 days. Nevertheless, there is nothing wrong with your plan. As you mentioned, you will not be allowed to work in Thailand, but there is nothing wrong with keeping in touch with your US employer during your business visits in Thailand. In other words, it is a question of using the correct semantics and, of course, definitely not doing any work at all for any company in Thailand. Visit Thai companies, talk with their executives about possible business ventures, devise tentative business plans, etc, all this is part of what you are allowed to do on a business visit in Thailand without the need for a work permit, in addition to staying in touch with your US company and doing what is necessary in that respect.

Makes sense, thanks for the clarification. I'll be traveling back to the United States from time to time for business purposes, and even to Taiwan or China, so I believe I will actually be using the visa for its intended purpose. My concerns stemmed from what others were saying. It sounded like even talking or emailing on behalf of my company would be considered "work" by Thai standards, however from what you've said there should be leniency in that regard because of the type of visa I will have. Good to know.

I will be moving to Thailand in a few months on a one year multiple entry visa. This type of visa is for people who have an "interest in business or investment in Thailand." I'm going to see if Thailand makes sense to expand my United States business into and also enjoy a bit of much needed R&R while I'm there. So my question is, as a businessman taking a 1 year trip to Thailand to research business and investments, am I not allowed to do any work while I'm there?! Isn't the whole point of this visa to do work while I'm in Thailand? The company is setup in the United States so it can run without me there on a day-to-day basis, but I can't simply stop providing service to my company while I'm in Thailand.

Awesome fish. Congratulations!

Man, you weren't kidding about the slow action of that rod. Thanks again for the info.

I'm headed to the Sierra Nevadas this weekend for some trout fishing... Definitely going to miss trout fishing while I'm in Thailand!