jamesbrock

Thank you LopBuri3,

I assume that I must submit before noon and then come back the next day, or do I have to submit sooner than noon? Since there are no early morning flights to Laos, I have to fly in on Monday night, go to Embassy on Tuesday morning and plan a flight back on wednesday afternoon.

Bummer looks like two nights unless someone has another option.

regards

C

Hi cshort64, I just got back from Vientiane yesterday.

The Thai embassy there only allows entry for visa applications up until midday - if you are inside the compound, and have a queue number, they will still accept the application. You then need to return the following afternoon to pick up your passport. The gates open at 1:00 PM, but people queue outside from late morning. If timing is an issue for you, lopburi3's suggestion of flying to Udon Thani could cut it down to one night in Vientiane.

As an indication, I arrived at the Embassy on Tuesday morning around 10:15 and got ticket 227; my number was called about 1:15, and I submitted my documents without a hitch (I applied for a Non Imm "ED"), and then proceeded inside to pay. Using the same ticket, I waited inside for around 35 minutes until my number was called so I could pay. My visit was on the day after a Thai Public Holiday, so it might not be indicative of your visit.

On Wednesday, there was already about 100 people in the queue when we arrived at the Embassy around 12:20; however, the driver of the bus provided by the visa run company took our payment receipts and told us to wait in the shady cafe across the road. He turned up around 1:20 with all our passports. (I wasn't planning to use a visa run company, but the tuk tuk driver from the Nongkhai bus terminal dropped us off at one, and, in my tired and delirious state, it sounded like a great deal. In the end I was pretty happy I did it, as it made the whole process a lot easier.)

One tip I have: after you get your ticket number, go upstairs and copy the exit and entry stamps for your current trip, to include in your documentation, as the embassy staff were turning away everybody who hadn't.

sorry they were additional tourist visas there original ones had finished and they were applying for new ones. not the standard boarder runs the visit to the thai embassy to get a new visa.

Suffice it to say, I agree with your point in your original post - one hand doesn't know or care what the other is doing. TAT want more tourists, while individual Immigration officials continue to be completely unreliable, accepting or rejecting applications based in little more than a whim.

There is a place called Baan Valentine in Choeng Mon, which rents luxury villas. It certainly isn't what I'd consider 'budget', but you might have a different interpretation!

So they will lose tourist. but those that us that are here and like to be tourists are getting no encouragement to stay and spend out Baht. I have heard this week of at least

5 people that have been refused extensions on there Tourists visa at both Laos and Cambodia. So not only are new tourists not coming the ones that are here are being told to go home.

Really they just dont see past the end of the day.

Why are these people applying for extensions to their tourist visas in Laos & Cambodia? Are they applying for new tourist visas, or are there a lot of people who think you need to leave the country to extend them?

you have to go to Laos or Cambodia if your tourist visa expires and you need a new single or double entry visa. you only get one 30 days extension at imagration then its leave the country and apply but these people are getting refused one guy had 2 tourist visas and he got a red stamp saying no more visas.

So you know of 5 people who have been refused additional tourist visas, and not refused extensions... Just trying to clear up what these people were refused.

So they will lose tourist. but those that us that are here and like to be tourists are getting no encouragement to stay and spend out Baht. I have heard this week of at least

5 people that have been refused extensions on there Tourists visa at both Laos and Cambodia. So not only are new tourists not coming the ones that are here are being told to go home.

Really they just dont see past the end of the day.

Why are these people applying for extensions to their tourist visas in Laos & Cambodia? Are they applying for new tourist visas, or are there a lot of people who think you need to leave the country to extend them?

Fixed photo for you.

I think the Ark Bar one is powder blue & older model.

did lamborghini ever make a targa top or convertible model?

Roo - pretty sure the blue one has bee replaced by a white one

Joe - yes they do

Nah, I was there last night, and he owns a 2010 gunmetal Murciélago roadster at the moment; recently upgraded from a 2008 black(ish) Gallardo Spyder. He changes lambos more than I change my jocks!

Do these guys understand the concept of how a dam_n works.

Well, they insist that water flowing through the breached gate would not raise the level in the area its flowing into, so it would appear they understand very little.

"The Royal Irrigation Department revealed later that after examining official documents from different agencies, it had not found the letter seeking water pumps for Bangkok. However, examination of records with other agencies found a letter dated November 3, 2011, signed by the BMA permanent secretary and addressed to the Interior Ministry permanent secretary, asking for 60 water pumps."

<deleted>? How are these other agencies different from the different agencies?

So, in other words, 'The Royal Irrigation Department revealed later that it found a letter dated November 3, 2011, signed by the BMA permanent secretary and addressed to the Interior Ministry permanent secretary, asking for 60 water pumps.'

I applied for the 'Learn Thai Online' Package through OLA on September 12, and received my documents back yesterday. So, all up, just over six weeks, which is fine with me. The next step is to leave Thailand and apply, which I'll do in a few weeks... No rush...

I found the whole process to be very smooth, and the instructions and assistance provided by the school was first class. I used the 'Contact Us' link, and received my reply with all the relevant information the next day...

FWIW, I was actually looking for a Thai language course, and didn't know of the ED visa until I found a brochure - so it's a bonus for me!

Hey james

can u please tell me did u apply for pack1(online learning) or pack2 . also what type of documents did u receive?

I want learn thai language but first i need visa for study in thai then i can study in schools

I applied for the Online Learning pack (Package 1), but am seriously considering paying the extra and doing Package 2 instead.

The documents I received included:

• The "Verified letter" from the Thai Ministry of Education
• An official letter from the head of the department concerned requesting a visa for the applicant.
• The school's registration papers.
• School Principal and Administrator's license.

If you want a ED visa I thinkk that you have to obtain it before you enter Thailand and require assistance from the language school but I might be wrong,

No, you're not wrong - the visa does need to be applied for, and collected, outside of Thailand, but that doesn't preclude you from arranging it whilst in Thailand and then leaving to collect it.

I applied for the 'Learn Thai Online' Package through OLA on September 12, and received my documents back yesterday. So, all up, just over six weeks, which is fine with me. The next step is to leave Thailand and apply, which I'll do in a few weeks... No rush...

I found the whole process to be very smooth, and the instructions and assistance provided by the school was first class. I used the 'Contact Us' link, and received my reply with all the relevant information the next day...

FWIW, I was actually looking for a Thai language course, and didn't know of the ED visa until I found a brochure - so it's a bonus for me!

It is simply a re-coloured capture of the following website (which was linked to in this thread last Sunda):

http://cernunosat05....ch/gp/flex/tha/

@MJCM

EDIT: In short, that BBC satellite image looks rather overblown -- maybe a Photoshop job.

It's definitely overblown - if you zoom into Suvarnabhumi, you'll notice both runways are apparently flooded. This hasn't changed since the weekend...