nkg

I'm sure most regulars here know that the waves get a bit rough during low season on many Phuket beaches.

I don't spend much time swimming/sunbathing, but the GF loves it.

Any recommendations for somewhere to splash around in fairly placid waters? Due to the distance involved, I would particularly like beaches between Kata and Bang Tao, but Phuket's not that big, and I'll happily travel anywhere on the island for a day trip.

Thank you.

Thanks for the high-quality, useful advice everyone.

I am interested in what you said about a re-entry permit, ubonjoe. Would I get this at the border between Thailand and Malaysia on the way there? I'm currently on the second half of a double-entry tourist visa.

Thanks for the high-quality, useful advice everyone.

I am interested in what you said about a re-entry permit, ubonjoe. Would I get this at the border between Thailand and Malaysia on the way there? I'm currently on the second half of a double-entry tourist visa.

You can get it at any immigration office. Since you are in Phuket the immigration office there would be the best office to use. You will need to fill out a TM8 (http://www.immigrati...oad/pdf/tm8.pdf) application form, have one photo and copies of your passport photo page, entry stamp page, visa and TM6 departure card.

Thanks for that ubonjoe, much appreciated!

No, I don't think there is a real market for your service. Anybody from BKK, Phuket and anywhere else with cheap airlines will just book a 3000 Baht return flight to Udon Thani. From Udon it's maybe 45 minutes to the Friendship Bridge, and another 30-45 minutes to the embassy in Vientiane. So your market is people who don't live in a large population centre - it may take a while for your bus to pick up all its passengers!

Also, wealthier people tend to have retirement visas and/or marriage visas and don't need to travel further than their local immigration office.

Thanks for the high-quality, useful advice everyone.

I am interested in what you said about a re-entry permit, ubonjoe. Would I get this at the border between Thailand and Malaysia on the way there? I'm currently on the second half of a double-entry tourist visa.

I'm supposed to go Penang to get a single 3 month Non-Immigrant B Visa soon.

However, I only have 2.75 pages left in my passport. Out of the last 3 pages, the first is blank, the second has a small re-entry stamp and the third is also blank. Will I be left with enough room?

Another question - my company seems confident that I will receive the Visa. I have 2.5 months left on a tourist visa. If I fail to get the non-Immigrant B for some reason, will my tourist visa be invalidated? Will I be stuck with a two week stamp in my passport (travelling overland from Phuket)?

And lastly, I thought that I would need to stick around in Penang overnight, as visa processing often takes place over 2 days - apply today, collect tomorrow. However, my company seems to think that 2 days are not required in this case, and their representative in Penang will take care of it. Can this be right?!

Any advice warmly appreciated.

While in bangkok, almost single condo is trendy and comfy. For 14k i had a 65sqm 1 bedroom with brand new extremely comfy and stylish furniture, real kitchen with a real large fridge, nice laundry, sex in the city style walk in closet etc. etc. Carpets, paintings, sculptures..

My own house looks like t his too.. i guess thais and retired foreigners are just not proud peoplle, they're rather live in filth and show a nice front garden

Don't you know that Bangkok is a cheaper place to live than Phuket? Makes your comparison rather silly, Mr Hostile. And your comments about "living in filth" would suggest that you will be winning a free vacation from this forum very soon.

2 examples (not mine) in Kamala:

Apartment, aircon in bedroom only, big LCD TV and decent internet connection included in rent, new Western furnishings, 7500 Baht/month

House no aircon (ceiling fans), new western furnishings inc LCD TV and cable, 2 large bedrooms, fair sized living room, big kitchen, 12000 Baht/month. Oh, and another similar house but with aircon in 1 bedroom, 13000 Baht/month.

When looking for a place, maybe 75% of the Thais I spoke to had $ signs in their eyes and were asking for an unreasonable "farang" price, even after negotiation. So I smiled politely and said goobye. Don't let this discourage you - that still leaves 25% of Thais who are willing to offer you the same price as they would a Thai local. Taking a Thai friend with you can help you secure a better deal.

Here in Bangkok I've seen bicycle riders with very nice, professional looking covers (as you may see during the Tour de France) BUT with a simple (baseball) cap under it! Same like motorcycle drivers having a nice integral helmet precariously balanced on the top of their head, rather than really having their head inside.

PS I took a motorcycle this morning to go to BTS Victory Monument, no helmet of course

Hum, so they want to look "stylish" without bothering with the tiresome "safety nonsense" ...

I think it's a cultural thing. The US were one of the pioneering countries in motorbike helmet safety, and they didn't make helmets mandatory until 1974. Then they withdrew the law - 3 states still don't have a mandatory helmet law.

When most Thai mothers start buying helmets for their kids and berating them for not wearing them, we might see some progress. Many already do, but not most. I don't think it's unfair to say that the Thai idea of 'Health and Safety' is about 50 years behind most Western countries. It will change, in time.

Having worked my way through all the replies, let's return to the OP:

"Mr. Yongyoot stated that both deaths and injuries seen in the past holiday are tragic and remain a lesson for those who live to remember.

However, the Deputy PM is pleased that the government-initiated campaign to rid the country of road fatalities during the Songkran holidays ended up with six provinces recording 'zero' death this year. They include Nakhon Phanom, Trat, Trang, Ranong, Pattani and Satun."

To emphasize the level of success, in my part of Bangkok, Khet Dusit (which elected a Pheu Thai lady as MP) there has not been a single death related to Songkhran (lack of) traffic as far as I'm informed. Way to go!

edit:add: if the previous government had said something similarly stupid I'd make the same remark. This type of government hype transcends politics and political directions

He added that, with more than 260 districts across the country reported no road accident at all, the campaign could be declared a success of a certain level.

It's the second-lowest total of Songkran road deaths since who-knows-when. But since the lowest total was in the previous year, it's clearly a disaster. "A success of a certain level" seems like a fair comment. If the headline had been "Thai Govt Declares Success Of A Certain Level In Its 'Zero Songkran Holiday Death' Campaign", I don't suppose we'd have 10 pages of outrage.

True, good well-ventilated helmets are too expensive. But I'm not sure that even the very best "cold" helmet out there would work properly in Thailand. Even my Arai half-face helmet (protects my head and the sides of my face) can get pretty hot at low speeds.

Bicycle helmets are designed to be very well-ventilated, since the guy wearing it is usually putting a good deal of effort into his ride. Some kind of hybrid design between bicycle helmets and motorbike helmets could be effective. Think of a motorbike helmet with a grid of big gaps. Safety laws would mean that such a helmet couldn't be designed/produced for Western consumption - I'm betting that Thai safety standards are not as high, though. Same same for Burma, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia etc.

The price problem can be solved by mass-production. Motorbike riding is a minority leisure pursuit in the West, rather than an essential means of transport as it is in Thailand. I doubt any one design of Western helmets sells much over 100,000. Indonesia alone has 240 million people. With that kind of market, the Chinese could make something decent for under 1000 Baht.

Perhaps the authorities will focus on helmet wearing again for Songkran 2013. Hoping that people will stop drinking and throwing water at Songkran is unrealistic. Wearing a helmet is easy to do, and easy to catch people not doing.

And with the quality of helmets worn here, a cardboard box would offer the same protection.

I do see some Thai wearing proper helmets now - the vast majority obviously don't, though. Whenever I ask Thais why they don't wear helmets, they tell me that helmets are too hot. They have a point. All the best bike helmets are designed with a Western climate (and budget) in mind. If somebody invented a helmet that kept you feeling cool and looked OK, that person would make a lot of money.

"Zero death" campaign and 320 deaths that is an 18% rise over the last year a success? Whatever. They can say what they like, they are the government. The government of loonies.

That's one way of looking at it. But last year was also a statistical outlier. Year-on-year comparisons are always problematic. Compared to 2007-2010, inclusive, this was a better year.

2007: 361 deaths, 4,805 injuries and 4,274 accidents

2008: 368 deaths, 4,801 injuries and 4,243 accidents

2009: 373 deaths, 4,332 injuries and 3,977 accidents

2010: 361 deaths, 3,802 injuries and 3,516 accidents

2011: 271 deaths, 3,476 injuries and 3,215 accidents

2012: 320 deaths, 3,320 injuries and 3,129 accidents

It appears from these statistics that what we have is an increase in the number of fatalities relative to the number of accidents. In other words, the severity of accidents has increased.

Those figures looked a little strange, so I searched on Google for some statistics about motorbike helmet use during Songkran.

In 2011, 203000 people were stopped by police for not wearing a helmet.

In 2012, 114000 people were stopped by police for not wearing a helmet.

So it seems that last year's Songkran campaign involved a much bigger "crackdown" on the non-use of helmets. Which would explain the statistical anomaly for the low number of deaths in 2011. If more people wear helmets, you would expect to see the same number of accidents and injuries, but fewer deaths.

Perhaps the authorities will focus on helmet wearing again for Songkran 2013. Hoping that people will stop drinking and throwing water at Songkran is unrealistic. Wearing a helmet is easy to do, and easy to catch people not doing.

Could the lack of Muslim deaths be attributed to Songkran being a Buddhist festival? I doubt Muslim deaths increase during the Xmas season in Western countries either - they aren't making a 1000km yearly trek to Aunt Nelly's house for turkey.

It's a bit of a non-story anyway. The headline is contrived to get lots of people outraged, but when you read the minister's quotes in context they are far from saying "Hurray for us!". Every year people get worked up about a minor one-week increase in road deaths, and then forget about the appalling death rate in Thailand that prevails for the rest of the year. I'd expect people to be discussing reforming and enforcing Thai driving license laws. Rational debate on this forum, that will be the day ...

This won't be a popular point of view, but .....

Wikipedia records 12,069 road deaths in Thailand in the last year that records were kept. The Songkran holiday takes place over a week. 12069 divided by 52 weeks in a year - in an average week, there are 232 road deaths. During Songkran week there were apparently 320 deaths - but only 88 more than in any ordinary week.

Considering the large increase in long-distance travel over Songkran week (families piling into their cars and heading back to their home province), is a one-week increase in road deaths really so unexpected?

Having said that, of course I too find the political grandstanding distasteful, especially when there seems to be very little to celebrate about. I wish Thailand took their epidemic of road deaths more seriously all year around.

How can someone who travels at 100 to110kph rear end you when you claim speeds on different posts of 160 to 180KPH

I think my 5 year old tyres are safer at the speeds i drive at than your new tyres at the speeds you drive at

With respect Mr Callen, you cannot really describe yourself as somebody who is comfortable with driving at high speeds. That's OK - everybody's driving abilities are different.

I realise there are some strange repercussions from KBB's involvement with this thread, so I'll leave it at that.

I'm another Somsak fan.

He knows his stuff, and his glasses and contacts are top-drawer.

If there's a better optician in Phuket, I want to know

3.5K is entirely doable, that's how much I'm currently paying for my 4 room house in Kamala. I'm sure the places in Phuket Town are nicer though. Phuket Town being cheaper.

Possibly McFarang isn't getting the best of deals with his existing accomodation .....

If money is no object, I'd consider:

6 Senses Santuary, Naka Yai (small island just off Phuket)

Trisara (near Nai Thon)

Pavilions Phuket (near Bangtao)

All very nice hotels for couples.

I'll probably be returning to Yorkshire, since that's where most of my friends and family are. Renting some space is very doable - the woman who used to massage my back hires two rooms within a Gym/Fitness centre, the last I heard from her she wants to rent one of them out, it's already kitted out nicely. The location is an advantage, not many people go to a gym expecting dodgy services.

With her CV she could probably get offered a job before she got to the UK, however it would probably be a similar situation to the top-notch Spas in Thailand, where the girls only get a relatively small percentage of what the customer pays.

She doesn't have a degree in Physiotherapy, but I'm sure she could call herself a Traditional Thai Physiotherapist without falling foul of the law. "Alternative Therapies" are very popular with UK women in particular.

I remember the preconceptions I had about "Thai Brides" before I actually came to Thailand, despite being a fairly open-minded and intelligent bloke. I know that some people will never accept her in the UK - if I hear a few profane comments as we wander around Tesco's, so be it. We're both middle-aged, which might help - you seem to become invisible in the UK as you get older My family have already met her, and the prospect of a bit of mickey-taking from my mates doesn't worry me. If I cared deeply about what people from the UK thought of me, I would never have come to Thailand in the first place!

Thank you again for the advice, warnings and encouragement - it's very helpful.

It may be possible to to be accepted if a third party such as a close relative were to offer to help with financing and accommodation while you get back on your feet.

This is a possibility - I have a wealthy close relative who is well disposed towards me and wife-to-be, and would almost certainly put their name forward as a guarantor. Despite the problems in the UK, I don't think it will take me very long to find a job.

I'm aware that "Thai Massage" has dubious connotations in the UK - she specialises in sport injuries and medical problems, and I know that she would be gutted if she had to give it up. The going rate for people with her skills is 30+ UKP/hour - she's extremely good at fixing people, and no other respectable job would come close for her in terms of pay. And no, she isn't about to take to the streets!! The reputation thing is a bit sad, but I think that bigoted people would suspect her of being a whore even if she was a doctor or lawyer. She will of course be saving up a portion of her income with the intention of taking it back to Thailand for her retirement. That's fine by me, I want to retire in Thailand too.

The plan would seem to hinge on either re-establishing myself in the UK before she comes over, or getting a guarantor.

Thanks for the comments so far, very enlightening.

My Thai gf and soon to be wife is a qualified Thai masseur, she graduated at Wat Po massage school in Bangkok several years ago, has all the certificates etc. She has only ever worked in the "respectable" part of the massage industry, mostly upscale hotels and owning her own shops.

It's likely that we will marry within the next few months and move to the UK, assuming this is possible. I have been living in Thailand for 2.5 years, and my career was put on hold during that time. I'm sure I can get a job once I've moved back to the UK, but I will probably have to be present in the UK to do so successfully. My financial resources are limited, and I don't have any significant assets in the UK.

That's my background info.

1) Will she be allowed to enter the UK as my wife given the above?

2) Will she be allowed to work as a traditional Thai masseur - if not now, how long would we need to wait?

3) How long would she have to remain in the UK to gain permanent residency/get a UK passport?

I would appreciate any advice about the above - it's a pretty big life change for me. I've done some research already, but given my circumstances your views would be very useful.

Actually you need to have all of your paperwork in before 11:00 am NOT 12:00.

Getting your Laos visa is a great idea.

The hotels haven't changed much since your last trip except that there are more now. Nice, new and most have WiFi.

Unless people live close to that boarder I can never understand why they go to Vientiane. Savannakhet is a MUCH nicer and easier going consulate.

I gave my paperwork in at the Thai Embassy in Vientiane at 1130AM last week, I wasn't the last person to be processed, no problems with my double entry tourist visa.

I wouldn't recommend leaving it that late though.

Two or three months I think, did a couple of visa on entries to stay in Thailand. Yes, I extended my previous visa twice by 30 days so that I could get the full 180 days.

Last time around, I didn't intend to get involved with the touts either. I was approached by a personable Laos guy who spoke excellent English at the Thai side of the Friendship Bridge - he offered to take me to the embassy and fill in my forms, then onto a guesthouse for 500 baht. I figured that it was a pretty good deal, so I took the plunge. As part of the service, he marched me straight to the front of the queue and said that I was next. I was pretty embarrassed by this, but I didn't want to complicate the situation that he had somehow taken charge of. It saved me half an hour or so, for what it was worth.

This time around I got a normal taxi to the embassy for 300 baht, and a tuk tuk to my guesthouse for 100 baht, so in theory the tout ( from last time) had only earnt 100 baht extra for his help. However, he took me to a guesthouse costing 700 baht/night that wasn't worth more than 500, so I suspect he was getting a "bonus" from the guesthouse owner. You can dodge that scam easily enough by booking your guesthouse in advance.

The benefit of using them is that they appear to be friendly with the embassy staff, so it is perhaps more likely that you will be given the visa that you want if you go via a tout. Obviously there are no hard and fast rules. If I go to Laos for a third tourist visa I will probably use a tout - it seems that the more tourist visas you have in your passport, the less your chances of getting a double entry from Laos. I've heard that some touts look through your passport beforehand and tell you whether or not you can get your visa.

Just came back from Laos, I thought a quick trip report might be useful to somebody.

My passport had one previous tourist visa, a double entry also from Laos. I thought I'd try it without any help from the touts to save a bit of cash.

Got to the Thai embassy at 1130AM, there were only 3 people in the queue at this time. The embassy is supposed to close at 12PM, so I was worried that I'd cut it a bit too fine. No problems with the counter staff, the lady flicked through the passport for maybe 10 seconds, gave me a ticket number (the machine was broken), and let me go.

I went inside the building where you pay - there were about 25 other people already waiting there. Everybody sat around until 1210PM, then a guy with a microphone read out a few numbers and quickly processed the payments. After that he told everybody to queue up to pay regardless of numbers, so there was a crazy dash to the front. Got a receipt and went off to find a guesthouse, ready to return the next day.

Inside the payment building I'd seen a sign saying "Passport collection 1PM-3PM", so I thought I'd leave it until 2.15PM - I don't particularly enjoy long queues, and I wasn't in any hurry. I got in and out of the payment building in about 90 seconds.

The visa itself was fine - a double entry as I'd requested for 2000 baht. There was no red stamp, so perhaps Vientiane is loosening up a bit on its visa issuing policies.