ultramarine

Thanks for the info. No I'm not on any other medication. My BP is pretty normal. I realize that cutting timed release tablets could be an issue. But when I cut into them, I noticed two layers -- a larger white layer (the medication) and a thinner red layer (the binding agent I assume). This was distributed equally in all four pieces. So I gave it a shot. Of course, I admit it could be one reason for my negative experience. I may look for some Pencor in 1 mg and see how that goes.

Hi All, I tried doxazosin for the first time on Sunday for BPH symptoms. I took it just before bedtime. Within an hour, I was feeling dizzy and quite weird. Sleep was interrupted and not restful. I woke up with a massive headache. I know that most of these side effects are fairly common but they were bad enough that I didn't take it last night. Especially since it can take up to 2 weeks to see any benefit from the medication. It's not a good trade-off at the moment. Can members who are taking this drug relate their experiences with early side effects? Supposedly they fade away over time but I can't imagine taking this drug again. I took the prolonged release 4 mg and cut the tablet into four pieces so 1 mg as directed to start. It was manufactured by Pfizer in Puerto Rico and packed in Germany with the brand name Cardura XL. I know that doxazosin and its generic equivalents are more common in Thailand but I wonder what my options are at this point. Thanks.

Thanks. Actually, I just received it 10 minutes ago. What a relief! But maybe the lesson here is to submit the application well before the suggested time by the embassy. Originally, the website recommended 20 business days before departure so I decided to play it safe by applying 30 business days before. But when I checked on my application after 20 business days, I noticed the website recommendation had been changed to 25 business days before departure. As it happened the visa was eventually issued 30 business days after application.

Hi All, I applied for an METV in late September but the Thai embassy in Canada is behind schedule in processing applications. I have yet to receive the visa but my flight leaves on Monday. If it not issued before arrival in BKK, should I simply try to enter Thailand on a 30-day visa exemption and then activate the visa by leaving the country and then re-entering within 30 days after that? Will the visa still be valid in that event? Advice welcome. Thanks!

I'll be in Chachoengsao. The train and bus are convenient but stop running at 7 pm. I think the BKK hotel should be anywhere near a BTS or MRT station for fast connections. I usually take the train from Chachoengsao to BKK. I get off at the Asoke SRT station which is across the street from the Petchaburi MRT station. Easy. The bus or minivan terminates at Ekkamai. Budget is 1000-1500 baht.

Thanks. Good tip for the Soi Cowboy area.

Thanks for the suggestions. Taxis are about 1500-2000 baht. So near the same price as a hotel but not a good option.

Thanks for the advice. I know there is a walk-in option -- often with cheaper walk-in prices -- but yes high season could be a problem. And thanks tomazbodner for the PR Place suggestion.

Hi All, Soon I'll be moving to a small town about 50 km outside Bangkok. I'm hoping to come in to town about once a week to shop and visit friends but wanted to stay overnight to avoid the late night commute back home. I was wondering if forum members could recommend any decent and inexpensive hotels near the MRT or BTS that don't require a reservation far in advance. I'm not looking for short time hotels or anything like that -- just a place I can go to sleep without having to necessarily set up a reservation ahead of time. Are there places where you have a good chance of finding a room coming in off the street? Thanks!

Sad news. He set me straight more than once that's for sure. A great resource for visitors of all kinds. He seemed to know everything there was to know about visas. A true legend. Sending my condolences to his friends and family.

I'm happy to hear it. I'm not a rabid anti-masker by any means, and I did wear a mask without complaint at the height of the pandemic when it made more sense and we didn't know any better. But the widespread masking is a negative for me. Thailand is less fun and less human when most people are wearing masks, especially now that Covid is over and whatever strains still exist are no longer dangerous. I'm speaking not as a resident, but as a frequent visitor. I think most residents have no choice but to simply roll with the punches. Thailand's tourist numbers have bounced back strongly in recent months, so the masking is clearly no big deal for most tourists. Part of that is pent-up demand though. But long term, I wonder how many tourists are OK with people wearing masks all the time.

Good to know. So it seems that masking as a default will continue for a while yet. It is what it is, as they say. Reassuring to hear that the hot season is persuading more people to give up mask wearing. It was bad enough wearing it in Oct-Nov, I can't imagine how uncomfortably hot it is now. I can't breathe when I'm wearing them in the heat. I'm not an anti-mask person as I have worn them before when the pollution was bad. And despite our current wave of forest fires in Canada, I haven't worn a mask yet. The AQI is now around 150 in the Toronto area where I live which is a bit nasty for sure. But it doesn't quite rank up there with the multi-dimensional BKK pollution which includes ground level ozone from heavy traffic congestion and who knows what else. If I was in New York (AQI=400 yesterday), I definitely would have worn a mask. Anyway, it seems that I may have to reconcile myself to keeping a mask handy when I return to Thailand. The pandemic is over, but masking remains a thing. Chalk it up to another chapter of TiT.

Hi All, I'm interested in hearing your impressions about masking trends in BKK. I visited briefly in late 2022 and was taken aback by the pervasiveness of masking, even outdoors. It must have been 90% masked outdoors and >95% indoors. It was depressing to see coming from Canada where masks had largely been discarded since spring 2022. It was like stepping into a Covid time machine and reliving the pandemic all over again. Ugh. It felt like the Thailand I knew and loved had been transformed into another country. Maybe it just revealed the cultural divide between East and West. From the videos I have seen and from friends, I know that Thais are still masking quite a bit now but wonder if mask use is falling in any appreciable way. Is it still the default both indoors and outdoors? Can you see a time when the unmasked will outnumber the masked in public? While I don't like wearing a mask, I also respect Thai people and their preferences. So I will likely begrudgingly put one on when I return if that is expected. I know that farangs are wearing them much less frequently and that is supposedly accepted by most people. And yet it is unfortunate that there is this awkward thing that separates us farang from Thai. Lots of room for unspoken resentment there.

Cheers. This e-visa system is so screwed up. They grant you a visa based in information that it already outdated. Kind of ridiculous.

Sort of related: I just got my 60 day tourist visa approval from the Canadian Thai embassy. The turnaround time was 43 days from application to approval. The thing is Ive left thailand now and returned to Canada due to a death in the family. I entered on a visa exemption in mid October. I'm assuming the visa is still good as long as I enter while still valid (Feb 19 2023). And yet the all the info I supplied with application (flight number, hotel reservation and address) won't be relevant if I choose to go back and use the visa. Is this visa still good?

Yes. You will be charged if withdrawing cash from an atm. So don't! As a debit card, it's genius.

Works great at big c and 7 11 for me. Just got it a month ago. Brilliant. No more ripoff atm fees for cash withdrawals!

Sorry for the barrage of questions. How many days before expiry would you advise going to Immigration for a 30 day extension? I have heard about two weeks before as a ballpark. I'm in Chachoengsao so I don't know if that changes things.

Much appreciated, DrJack54. And I assume then you also don't have to show proof of an onward flight before the 30 days have expired?

Just to clarify, for the 30 day extension on the 45 day exemption, is there no financial requirement at all? Will immigration ask to see cash or bank account? Also is it best to print out and fill out the TM7 beforehand or can you fill it out on the spot at immigration?

Good to hear. They actually corresponded through Facebook? Maybe that was my mistake.

The Toronto consulate has closed. Only Ottawa and Vancouver now.

I did the same. I only lost 65 CAD on my single tourist visa at least. Something is wrong at the Ottawa embassy. So visa exempt entry and extensions and border bounces are the workaround for now.

Thanks. I've done Laos border bounces and found it was fairly straight foward at both Mukdahan and Nakhon Phanom. The international buses are easy to find and adhere to a regular schedule. How does Cambodia compare?

I agree the whole thing is easier with the service. Actually I've used this service before and they were competent. And then there is a possible x-factor of decreasing chances of bad things happening with an IO. Not sure how much sway the visa service would have with the IO but a little bit at least I think. How would you assess the visa services (e.g. in Pattaya) that arrange another visa exempt entry without the person having to ever actually go to the border? Full disclosure, after failing to obtain a proper visa (mostly my fault), I'm going to have to do a second visa exempt entry at a border. I'd like to fly to another SE Asian capital just for tourism and then fly back to BKK for a 2nd visa exempt entry but I gather there are greater risks of refused entry at airports compared with border crossings.