maesai

Can anyone with up to date info tell me if Vientiane will still issue a double entry tourist without showing a flight ticket in and out of Thailand? Plan to travel overland. Thank you.

Thanks for the report.

I am going for a double TV next week. Have a fresh PP with only 1 double TV.

I will probably just go it alone without an agent since I think my chances are pretty good.

Will post back to this thread what I experience and see other people getting.

So how did it go?

I guess that would be the most economical way to handle it. Too bad I just spent $80 adding new pages to my existing passport!

Here is the situation... My current non-immigrant B visa just expired. I must leave Thailand the end of December. In April I will turn 50 and apply for a retirement extension. I would like to apply for a double entry tourist visa in the Asia region to carry me through until I can apply for the retirement extension. My passport is packed full of used non-immigrant visas plus one tourist visa from Penang. It is my understanding that Vientiane will likely frown on this and decline to issue a tourist visa - especially a double entry. Phnom Penh may or may not be issuing double entry visas. I have read conflicting reports. Penang? Any other options? Would really like to avoid a trip to Aus or the US. Thanks for your advice.

How did you get a money order to pay for the visa? Care to share which consulate you used?

My passport contains about 9 continuous years of Non Immigrant B entries to Thailand. Rather than returning to the US to get another Non-Im visa, I would like to get a double entry tourist from Vientiane to tide me over until I can apply for a retirement visa in Thailand. Can anyone tell me if the Thai Consulate in Vientiane will be OK with this? Cheers.

First, I'm glad it went well. That's the main thing.

I'm curious about a few specifics as my finance company would not do certain things and I ended up paying it off before selling..

What exactly were the 'transfer papers'? Were these papers transferring the title from them to the original purchaser (the guy on the contract), or did they provide legal papers allowing transfer to you at this point? If the former the registration book shouldn't have been handed to you though I can understand why it may have happened. If the former, that would be a nice service and perhaps you could post a redacted copy of the form others could use? This is what I asked for (twice, two separate finance companies) and was told they didn't provide.

So.. the actual title was transferred to you at the LTO.. nice you didn't need to wait and could go there directly. This is the other part I asked about (twice) and was told they had to do it.. Did you have any legal paperwork showing you owned the car prior to the LTO?

Curious what finance company?

It was just the standard transfer forms, plus one additional page that looked like a power of attorney? It included the ID card from the woman at the finance company plus some other rubber stamps. They filled in the transfer forms with my name, not the sellers, at the finance company.

I didn't end up with a copy of anything to show you. It is all at the LTO, and I pick up the book on Tuesday. It was a small local (Chiang Mai) finance company located in Hang Dong. One other thing, about halfway though the process at the LTO, one of the girls from the finance company showed up to check everything was going according to plan, which it was.

I completed the transaction today. Met the seller at the finance company. I paid off the outstanding loan. The finance company filled out all the transfer papers and handed me the reg book. Went to the transport office with the seller, had the vehicle inspected. I gave the seller the remaining funds and we transfered the the title to me. The seller paid the transfer fees. All very easy, actually.

I have searched pretty thoroughly, but couldn't find any threads on this subject. If anyone can point me to them, that would be appreciated.

If I understand this correctly, there is a period of risk from the time I pay off the loan at the finance company to the time we transfer the title to my name at the transport office?

I believe the sales price is about equal to the outstanding loan.

I am interested in buy a used car from a private party. The car is currently financed. I want to pay cash for it, as I can not buy on credit. What is the procedure for for making payment and transferring title in this situation?

Cheers.

No brainer. I knew this would stir things up around here. Heh heh.

A pork burger with bacon, bbq sauce, smothered in cheese, with fries and a coke... I would think that would be appealing to many farang.

there were 2 prices for the same order, one for Thai and one for farang?

or

there was an item menu that is available to farang and thai but it is advertised only in thai language and w/ thai numerals?

Either way it is bad form and very surprising for Burger King.

The second one. I was very surprised myself.

Flew out of Don Muang the other day. Stopped by Burger King for a bite. All the combo meals were over 200 baht except for one shown on a poster. Written only in Thai (including the price). 145 baht for a pork, bacon, & cheese burger with fries and a drink. Guess they didn't want the wealthy farang to know about that one. Also, the kid handing out fliers for it was only giving them to Thais. Had to ask him for one. Rather sneaky, if you ask me.

Morons... err... Mormons.

Arent you a creative linguist

Have to admit I stole that from the excellent program "Angels in America".

I see them often in my neighborhood talking the ear off some poor hapless Thai they have cornered. They tried to chat me up once as well, 'till I explained I was a gay atheist. Then, they didn't seem so friendly anymore.

Morons... err... Mormons.

Cops are evil. You do not ever want to let them onto your property unless they have probable cause and a search warrant. You do not ever want to speak with them in regards to a criminal investigation unless your attorney is present.

Viramune has been shown to be less potent than Efavirenz, requires taking meds twice a day versus once a day for Efavirenz, and is more toxic. If tolerated (and most people don't have a problem with it) Efavirenz / Truvada is the preferred regimine for first line treatment.

For more information, have a look at table 5 in the "Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in HIV-1-Infected Adults and Adolescents" published by the Department of Health and and Human Services (DHHS). Available here http://www.aidsinfo.nih.gov/contentfiles/AdultandAdolescentGL.pdf

3/if you pay out of pocket this can be 13000 thb but also around 1000 thb for the first line treatment (generic GPO-VIR) to tens of thousands for new generation meds or somewhere much in between. e.g. my friend takes truvada and neravir = 2600 thb pr month. 6 monthly testing at anonymous clinic 300 thb = for cd4 and viral load test = 1500 thb. Prices at Chula and ramabodhi are similar.

A better choice for first line treatment (if you can afford it) would be Truvada + Efavirenz. Around 3400 baht a month at government hospitals if memory serves.

About 8 years ago, A good friend of mine was in a similar situation. He was admitted to McCormick Hospital (private) in Chiang Mai very sick. Was diagnosed as HIV+ with AIDS complications. The hospital made no effort to treat the underlying cause. They offered no counseling or options. I think they just assumed he couldn't afford treatment, so that was that. When I learned what was going on, I was a little pissed off. I spoke with another doctor at McCormick that I have used and liked. He suggested my friend go to the HIV treatment clinic at Suan Dok Hospital (government). I took him there and got him enrolled. He had a CD4+ of about 100, and a viral load through the roof. They put him on antiretrovirals, including expensive imported protease inhibitors. All at no cost to him. Today he is healthy.

The resources are available if one takes the initiative. Sadly, that is often not the case when it comes to low income Thais.

Where is he? If in Bangkok, take him to Chula. He should get the anti virals for free.

Thank you. I had a feeling it was San Kamphaeng, as my GPS doesn't show any office in Mae-On.

I can't find a land office for Mae-On. Anyone know if there is one, or does the San Kamphaeng or Doi Saket office hand that area? Thank you.

Check this out. 60,000 for this photo shoot!

Four years ago, at Chulalongkorn, I regularly paid 10,000 for CT scans from the groin to the chin. 60,000 for a PET scan

14,000 sounds about right for a private hospital.