gk10012001

I used to always get it in that little row of stores next to KISS restaurant on 2nd road. One little shop had a few different papers for sale. Pretty sure the fancy book store in the big mall had a paper section also. Been four years since I been to Pattaya

Yes it can take 5 minutes, but it requires documentation and proof of some things that I never ever have done. I have never booked and paid for a hotel in advance. Sure upon arrival the old TM 6 was it, had you write down where you were staying and I would put a hotel I knew of and might stay at. But I learned very early on to always see the room first before I pay. I might be able to get something good enough for the E visa, but it is so much simpler to just do the visa exempt. I first went to Thailand because it was convenient. My contracting jobs never started or ended on firm dates, so just being able to book last minute flights and travel and enter visa exempt got me there 15 times. And while as I read the Evisa has a validity of I think three months, or something like that, before you have to use it, I prefer not to use it. If I have to as they seem to be going that way, then so be it. It is like the old Single Entry Tourist Visa SETV. And being able to apparently get a multi entry up front, it actually is not too bad looking

yes I have read that. I am hoping it stays at least for the next few months so I can at least take advantage of it this year, probably August is my travel time. I would love to get 90 days in or at least the 60 days with little effort. Have done an extension now and then over a decade ago and it was not a big deal really. But 60 + 30 would be the bee's knees,

Load shift likely a contributing factor. I can picture several of the occupants huddled over the pilot and co pilot seats looking at things. Then the mechanical issue (presumably). Too much weight forward to do any stall recovery, if that was even possible. The video seems to show not much control surface deflection

Reports say the aircraft had significant modifications before this flight which included stick and control surfaces. Video seems to show the aircraft had no control surface deflections. If it had done a low speed stall, it is not unreasonable to go nose down and pick up some speed and recover, but I don't think I see anything happening in the way of recovery. The aircraft performance sheet listed a stall speed of 65 mph. Three pilots on board what seems to have been a maintenance check out flight. Maybe inexperienced pilot was at the controls and just didn't know what to do. I personally, being an engineer and ex Air Force Captain in the aviation industry for decades and having been to Thailand over a dozen times, suspect the maintenance work and the follow up inspection and sign off process.

OK thanks. Still wondering why the UK has or does not have reciprocal - agreements with certain countries. I will poke the interweb. Thanks

While I am one of the most above the board rule followers, I prefer to avoid as much imperial involvement as possible. I typically do pick up a cheap Thai phone and data plan while there and just use that for local Thai communications where it does come in handy. I do not do any banking of any importance or purchase anything using my regular USA phone and I plan to continue in that vain.

Very informative post as I plan on doing the exact same thing before this year is out as I semi retire from my contract job in the USA. I plan to go to Thailand on the 60 day visa exempt + 30 day extension. Then I guess I would leave Thailand for a few nights and then come back in and do the 60 + 30 one more time. And I of course will plan my travels so that I am NOT in Thailand for 180 days or more to avoid any involvement with those recent Tax rules.

Why is Philippines not increase limited but Thailand is? For that matter, what countries does the UK increase things and which does it not?

haha. I cut my teeth on WordPerfect decades ago. Didn't realize it was still around

Yes. I too have used that for a long time now. So far it has been totally compatible with WORD and EXCEL documents both that I generate or that I get from real Office Applications. I still use hotmail.com for my email, and that does not require OFFICE 365 or whatever. Of course one can use all sorts of other email domains such as gmail, yahoo, etc..

If you travel or are already traveling how can you get an email and print it out? How quickly is the email sent after you submit the form using the website? Even if I bring my smartphone, I will NOT have service inside BKK unless or until I buy some new SIM card, or buy some travel connection plan

It did not appear to me that the departure was optional.

Some people actually do work remotely and profitably. Some proof read periodicals as referees or reviewers. Some submit articles for publication in various journals. I exclude the so called influencers as I think that is so presumptious and I look at none of them, but they may count. Some do online teaching of various subjects or even tutor. I myself have multiple technical degrees, BS engineering and MS in Math and when I stop my contracting work I can see me doing about 10 hours of tutoring every week to keep my mind active, make a little extra money, etc. I go by the book with the IRA (USA Citizen). I loath the attempt by Thailand to make visitors of over 180 taxable residents and that guarantees I will not stay that long in country in any given year.

he wasn't asking about how to decrypt an encrypted passport number. He was asking if anybody had figured out which passport number to use as he had multiple things changing

I took a look at the website. It does ask for more information than the old TM paper form did. It now asks for state/city of home. One's passport does NOT include that information and where one lives in their home country, assuming one has a current regular address is really no business of others It asks for phone number. That will not work very well because I get a Thai SIM card and cheap phone when I land in thailand and that will not be known in advance. Another issues is it asks for departure flight information. I typically arrive on an open ended booking on EVA. I guess I could make up some departure information but I prefer to list actual information, but the online form doesn't give that option. And now the mechanics as others have mentioned. I do NOT use my smart phone for literally anything. I never upload any QR thingy because one does not know what that actually contains. The site does allow for printing out the form, supposedly, but that is not always easy to do unless one has a printer at home. One could be traveling, one could be in a foreign country, or any number of other situations where getting to a printer is not trivial or convenient.

I did songkran in Pattaya once back in 2005. It was my third trip to the country since 2004. I found it very unpleasant. Sure an afternoon or a day or two frolicking around in a bathing suit and playing with water is kind of fun, but not for a week. I like to walk around, go out to eat, ride the baht bus around town, go shopping etc. Absolutely a royal pain getting soaked all the time going out. I had no desire to splash water and stand among crowds for 5 or 6 days straight! One thing I noticed, and this is probably a good thing is the way many Thais literally attacked foreigners with water. I think they were venting or releasing some anger. Its probably ok they do that with water than with other ways. No doubt some Thais resent many foreigners, especially ones that brag about their status, or laugh or make fun of some Thai things which of course is horrible to do.

The blurb about inexpensive health insurance is very misleading if not wrong, especially for seniors and older folks. If one ever wants to use medicare back in the USA then you must sign up and pay for Part B when eligible, i.e. age 65 or when you left other qualifying insurance, say from your employer. If you do not start Part B you get charged a 10% penalty every year you do not sign up for Part B so if you ever went back to the USA for Medicare, your premiums would be very high. Basic Part B right now if one makes less than ~ $100,000 USD Modified Adjusted Gross Income a year is $185/month. Suggest that anybody eligible should bite the bullet and pay it, even though it is not usable overseas (with a very few exceptions). In case you ever might return to the USA for health care, consider it insurance you pay along the way that you don't use until you need it Insurance costs in Thailand for senior expats is NOT cheap. And in some cases the plan choices are very limited or not even available. I am a Florida resident and have been to Thailand many times and do plan to semi retire if not fully retire very soon. I am 68. But the recent Tax law issues with staying in country more than 180 days in a calendar year are very concerning.

Years ago, Jomtien down the coast a ways was OK for swimming. Like 2004. I mention 2004 because that was my second trip to Pattaya and we and my friends ended up going to Ko Samet and were there during the tsunami. We had reservations for phuket but for some reason my buddy changed us to Ko Samet. Saved my life as I guarantee I would have been swimming in the morning before the sun gets too hot and I would have been in the water when the Tsunami came. I was aware of tsunamis and there is a good chance I would have made it to high ground in Patong , but you never know

So if they teach for a year, they are then eligible for insurance the rest of their life while living in Thailand? Do they have to stay in Thailand for any special number of months each year after they stop teaching? Can they go back to their home country ad then just fly back to Thailand . say on a visa exempt and get any treatment they want ? Sounds a bit too good to be true.

An interesting plan. Not sure that selling out will benefit you in the long run though. Rents do increase, properties get sold out, you have to move, etc. None of those things are easy to handle the older one gets

They get it for life? I assume you mean as long as they keep teaching? Also, how good and comprehensive is the insurance? I imagine it covers most routine things, some broken bones etc. I would be skeptical if it covers really major surgeries, or has no total cost limits.

Some or many do live on that. But many things are left out. The younger people have no health insurance but many of them still are under the wings of their parents back in their home country. The older ones have no health insurance and are just rolling the dice because they have no choice.

I do, yet don't get it. Four years ago I bought my first smart phone. Yes, a late comer. A moto G7 Power. Long lasting battery, plenty of memory. Has a very large screen. Android apps abound and the few I use do everything I need. Cost was 250. In another year I may replace it with a 5G capable phone, depending on how long they keep 4 G around. The only reason I replaced my previous phone was because they phased out 3 G. And before that, the only reason I replaced my ericcson voice and text phone was because they stopped 2G. The prices I see people paying for Iphones just, well just is not something I would ever do.

Well, being an American in Pattaya will not have any special impact, unless some people there decide to be nasty to the average American that has nothing to do with Trump or his administration. Prices will be about the same as before. The Thai Baht to US dollar ratio may be slightly improving which may help Americans traveling to thailand