Mangkhut

Mae Sai or Mae Sot for a border-run?

I based approx the same distance from both, any place more conveniant than the other to do a border run?

I remember 10-12 years ago it could be huge crowds of thai people crossing over at Mae Sai creating long lines - is it the same today and is it the same at Mae Sot?

19 hours ago, one baht said:

 This may be of interest, The Thai Consulate in Melbourne does not require an outward bound itinerary for a SETV

But the airline might do so at check in counter....

On 3.11.2017 at 12:31 AM, PoorSucker said:

Penny Lane, end of a soi in green mango area has live music every Friday.. 

Go the soi up from hooters/hard rock, turn left at Moby Dick. 

And free food too...?

3 hours ago, elviajero said:

The fine is a maximum of 2,000 baht. An office can charge whatever they like up to the full 2,000 baht. 800 and 1600 seem to be the most common amounts charged.

Immigration Act.

Section 77 : Whoever fails to comply with the provision of Section 38, shall be punished with a fine not exceeding 2,000 Baht.

 

Thanks for the confirmation of my information Elviajero. Good to have it in  print, if not for anything else so for the cavilers in here... 

On 27.10.2017 at 2:00 PM, bazza73 said:

The fine is 1600 baht. Your GF was dudded for 400 baht. Or did she tell you it was a 2000 baht fine?

The fine is 2000 baht and we got a info folder that says so. And we also got a receipt when it was paid.

My gf got fined 2000 baht for not reporting me staying with her when I went to extend my visa excemption. Lampamg Immigration...

So I think your gf should do it to avoid the same.

Exellent news Elviajero, thanks a lot mate. In case I choose to do the borderrun from Ranong - do I need to arrange a visa for Myanmar in advance?

Visa run, alternatives and how?

It must be at least 10 years since I did a visa run and things have probably changed a lot since then. Hence this posting -

I entered Thailand 27th of september on a visa excemption which gives me 30 days. I will extend that with another 30 days in the beginning of next week. But my return ticket back home is 15th december so I need to do a visa run too to stay legally in the country the last 18-19 days. I carry a norwegian passport btw.

I based in the north of Thailand so a visa run to Mae Sai - as I used to do back 10-12-15 years ago - is that possible? 

Or do one have to stay overnight in another country nowadays?

I might be going south for a trip in that time, maybe Hua Hin, Ranong or Phuket - is there a visa run option nearby in the south? At Ranong for example?

Thanks in advance folks! 

Have done this trip many times on motorbikes. Many road alternatives, one is to go up to Nong Khai and then ride R 211 along the Mekong river all the way to Chiang Khan. Its a scenic stretch although not mindblowing. Theres several coffeeshops/restaurants along the road with a nice view over the Mekong thats worth stopping for a snack and a cuppa.

From Chiang Khan you can turn south to Loei or continue westwards and head through some quite remote places. Many road alternatives here will take you to Nan which is one of the most beautiful provinces of Thailand. One road will lead you on through the Queen Sirikit dam where you have to take a ferry across.

If you drive the more normal way through Nong Bua there are several attractions, the Erawan cave is one, a huge cave that goes completely through a carst cliff halfway between the cities Nong Bua and Loei. In Loei province there are several sights, Phu Reua is already mentioned, «the boat cliff» very near the main road there. The Chatau Loei winery might be worth a stop if its still runnin. 

4 hours ago, LannaGuy said:

I'm sure one would research if one was serious. I have always loved the thought of procuring a pill or something in case I was terminally ill and wanted a graceful end. Nothing graceful in hanging. RiP

I cannot see anything graceful in commiting suicide no matter what way it was done. Hard times will pass, death is forever...

3 hours ago, 4MyEgo said:

The thing that gets me is all these farangs hanging themselves or throwing themselves off buildings, surely sleeping pills can purchased over the counter, take the bottle and sleep, never to wake up, just saying that would be my preferred way to go as opposed to a rope around my neck or splattered all over the tarmac.

 

RIP to another farang

Are you aware of how much/many sleeping pills aka benzoes or benzo similars you have to take to die? 

Shitloads of pills - I dont think you would be able to swallow so many pills at all...

1 hour ago, exyalie said:

just to add to the discussion (and not to hijack it in ay way):

 

the OP inspired me to consider something - is there a way to get from Chiang Mai to Nong Khai? and if there are many alternatives, which would be the best for someone who is NOT in a hurry?

 

thanks!

There are buses of course. VIP from CM to Udon should make it in 11-12 hours, and then a local bus the last 60 kms to Nong Khai.

And airplane too, CM to Udon. Nok Air I belive nowadays.

2/3 Oats + 1/3 cereal with no fat milk, low fat yougurt and some fruits, banana, mango, pineaple or whatever is in season.

But once in a while a egg, bacon, beans type of breakfast.

19 hours ago, perthperson said:

 

That equates to <> 10G of NACL which equates to <> 4600mg of sodium. 

 

The max recommended intake of salt for the average person would be 1500 mgm/day and less for those with cardiac or renal problems.

 

Most elderly people's kidney function declines as the years advance and care should be taken about how much salt is ingested. 

 

Your absolutely right. Thats a very very unhealthy intake of salt/nacl. It will easily ruin the fluid/electrolite balance in a human body. You will have to drink a lot of  fluids to compensate for that. 

A very bad advice, even dangerous I would say.

1 hour ago, Raymonddiaz said:

Not only for Thais. Wrong title for this article me think

Youre correct. This new rule applies to all foreigners seeking permanent residency in Norway. 

As others has mentioned - if you have experienced quite big changes in your toilet habits it might be wise to seek help from a doctor.

Two options to cure constipation and the most acute one is of course medication or other rapid working things such as you already have been using. From enema to many different laxatives.

The better option and more long term option is to get these 3 things right:

1. Stay hydrated - if youre not drinking sufficient - your intestins will suck up fluids from your feces and feces will be less volume and drier and thus it will not make your bowl contract and work as good as if you have been sufficient hydrated. 

2. Eat foods with fiber. It seems youre pretty good with fruits, vegetables, nuts etc. Maybe add some oat, rye bread or similar and other foods with lots of fiber. White rice and noodles does not have much fiber so it wont help much. 

Its important to get the volume in your bowl big so your intestins are stimulated to work and emptying easier.

3. Exercise - important factor too. Walk, svim, whatever youre comfortable with. 

Chok dee thi Hong Naam ?

10 minutes ago, chrissables said:

Interested your girlfriend only got 14 days, was it due to crossing with Thai I.D rather than a passport? 

 

I have never had that problem in the past.

She had a passport.

And as you can see here https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Cambodia

thats the rules for that citizens in Cambodia. 

Note that it was a visa excempt, not a visa as I wrote initally.

The border crossing Chong Chom-O'Smach from Surin province is normally a good bordercrossing to go through. Very little vehicle traffic, just thais who go over to the casinoes.

Third party insurance would be great but unlike Laos I dont think you can buy any at the border and probably not anywhere else. 

You will of course need all bike papers as the bike needs to be temporarly exported out of Thailand.

When I crossed into Cambodia at Chong Chom in 2015 they didnt take any notice of my bike. No paperwork at all, no entry in computer systems - absolutely nothing.

It could be that it have changed by now but I doubt it. 

What Kerryd mentiones about insurance approved itinerary and accomodation and medical sertificate must be a mistake. I had absolutely nothing of that when I entered Cambodia and nobody asked for anything of that. I think he have mistaken for what is needed when entering Thailand with a foreign vehicle.

From Chong Chom-O'Smach its just 2-3 hours down to Siem Reap with relatively nice roads (as of February 2015)

I rode from Siem Reap to Stung Treng (nice road as of 2015) Stung Treng to Kratie (partly gravel roads and some road construction) Kratie to Phnom Penh (ok roads) Phnom Penh to Kampot (good roads) Kampot to Koh Kong (good roads) and then exited to Thailand at Hat Lek. 

Spend 14 days in Cambodia as I had my gf with me and she could only get visa for 14 days (thai citizen)

Some say unspoiled - well it depends what they mean with unspoiled? Theres hardly any trees left in the northern part of the country. All is chopped down. I asked locals about the road condition between Siem Reap and Stung Treng and they said "through the jungle"? But I hardly saw a tree at all on that stretch...so not much jungle left.

Traffic seems a bit more aggressiv than in Thailand, bigger vehicles have all the rights, dont push your luck. Just take it easy and smell the flowers and you will be fine. 

No need to bring a whole lot of spare parts. Change oil and put on new tyres and brake pads if they are worn before you go. Maybe bring cables and a gear lever. 

I had lights on all day as the bike is wired like that and was a bit concerned about that - but I was never stopped.

On 24.6.2017 at 0:13 AM, possum1931 said:

I believe strongly in live and let live, but nothing wrong with airing your views in a topic like this.

But if I see old shirtless guys in the street or shopping malls, I do tend to have a go at them as they are so

disgusting to look at and have no respect for the Thai people, but I will never have a go at anyone because of their dress sense.

Well - if I see a shirtless man somewhere I could t care less. I think you should try to do so too. First of all - it will show that you have respect for that man, old or young. Btw - does age really matter?

secondly - a little less bothering about other clothes might be good for your bloodpressure ya know....?

Yes Im sure the old Khmer Rouge officer Hun Sen wants more controll of his political opponents. We all know where his roots are.....

They were all provided by a certain woman from Khon Kaen....?

Yes that is a very good idea. Tell everybody how he started his career as a Khmer Rouge officer. 

The rest you can find in Wikipedia. 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hun_Sen

Its a shame and beyond disgusting that a man responsible for so much killings and suffering, violence and unjustice still can be the head of state....everybody should know about this!

"

Hun Sen came to power with the Khmer Rouge and served as a Battalion Commander in the Eastern Region of Democratic Kampuchea (the state name during the Khmer Rouge government). In 1977, during internal purges of the Khmer Rouge regime, Hun Sen and his battalion cadres fled to Vietnam.^{[14][15][better source needed]}

Hun Sen became one of the leaders of the rebel army and government that the Vietnamese government sponsored when they prepared to invade Cambodia. When the Khmer Rouge regime was defeated, Hun Sen was appointed as Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Vietnamese-installed People's Republic of Kampuchea/State of Cambodia (PRK/SOC) in 1979. As the de facto leader of Cambodia, in 1985, he was elected as Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Prime Minister, after the death of Chan Sy. As Foreign Minister and then Prime Minister, Hun Sen played a pivotal role^{[citation needed]} in the 1991 Paris Peace Talks, which brokered peace in Cambodia. During this period Prince Norodom Sihanouk referred to him as a "one eyed lackey of the Vietnamese".^[16]

In 1987, Amnesty International accused Hun Sen's government of torture of thousands of political prisoners using "electric shocks, hot irons and near-suffocation with plastic bags."^[17][18][19]

After the UN monitored elections he refused to step down from the post and negotiated a transitional government agreement that allowed him to remain as co-prime minister but he retained the chairmanship of the CPP.^{[citation needed]} From 1993 until 1998 he was Co-Prime Minister with Prince Norodom Ranariddh. In 1997, the coalition was shaken by tensions between Ranariddh and Hun Sen. FUNCINPEC began to discuss with the remaining Khmer Rouge rebels (with whom it had been allied against Hun Sen's Vietnamese-backed government during the 1980s), with the aim of absorbing them into its ranks.^[20] Such a rallying would have rebalanced the military power between royalists and the CPP.

In response, Hun Sen launched the 1997 Cambodian Coup, replacing Ranariddh with Ung Hout as the First Prime Minister and maintaining his position as the Second Prime Minister, a situation which lasted until the CPP's victory in the 1998 election, after which he became the country's sole Prime Minister. During that year the media broadcast him as the Strong Man of Cambodia which he later said was premature, and that the July 1997 coup was merely the government taking action against the paramilitary anarchy that was sponsored and brought to Phnom Penh by Norodom Ranariddh.^[21] In an open letter, Amnesty International condemned the summary execution of FUNCINPEC ministers and the "systematic campaign of arrests and harassment" of political opponents.^[22]

On 6 May 2013, Hun Sen declared his intention to rule Cambodia until he is 74.^[23][24]

The controversial and widely disputed elections of July 2003 resulted in a larger majority in the National Assembly for the CPP, with FUNCINPEC losing seats to the CPP and the Sam Rainsy Party. However, CPP's majority was short of the two thirds constitutionally required for the CPP to form a government alone. This deadlock was overcome and a new CPP-FUNCINPEC coalition was formed in mid-2004, when Norodom Ranariddh was chosen to be head of the National Assembly and Hun Sen became again sole Prime Minister.

Hun Sen rose to the premiership in January 1985 when the one-party National Assemblyappointed him to succeed Chan Sy who had died in office in December 1984. He held the position until the 1993 UN-backed elections, which resulted in a hung parliament. After contentious negotiations with the FUNCINPEC, Hun Sen was accepted as Second Prime Minister, serving alongside Norodom Ranariddhuntil a 1997 coup which toppled the latter. Ung Huot was then selected to succeed Ranariddh. In the 1998 election, he led the CPP to victory but had to form a coalition government with FUNCINPEC. Hun Sen has since led the CPP to victory consecutively, and is currently serving in his fifth prime ministerial term.^[3] In June 2015, following the death of Chea Sim, Hun Sen was elected president of the CPP.^[4]

Hun Sen was 32 years old when he became prime minister, making him at that time the world's youngest head of government. One of the world's longest-serving leaders, he has been described as a 'wily operator who destroys his political opponents',^[5] or as a dictator who has assumed authoritarian power in Cambodia using violence, intimidation and corruption to maintain his power base.^[6][7] Hun Sen has accumulated highly centralized power in Cambodia, including a personal guard said to have capabilities rivalling those of the country's regular army.^[8] The former Khmer Rouge commander has consolidated his grip on power through a web of patronage and military force'.^[9]

Some political opponents of Hun Sen have in the past tried to accuse him of being a Vietnamese puppet.^[16] This is due to his position in the government created by Vietnamwhile Cambodia was under Vietnamese military occupation and the fact that he was a prominent figure in the People's Revolutionary Party of Kampuchea (now known as the Cambodian People's Party), which governed Cambodia as a one-party state under Vietnamese military occupation from 1979 until elections in 1993. Hun Sen and his supporters reject such charges, saying that he represented only the Cambodian people.^{[citation needed]}

Hun Sen's government has been responsible for the leasing of 45% of the total landmass in Cambodia - primarily to foreign investors - in the years 2007-08, threatening more than 150,000 Cambodians with eviction. Parts of the concessions are wildlife protections or national parks even,^[43] and the landsales has been perceived by observers, to be the result of government corruption. Already thousands of citizens had fallen victims of forced evictions.^[44]

Hun Sen was implicated in corruption related to Cambodia's oil wealth and mineral resources in the Global Witness 2009 report on Cambodia. He and his close associates were accused of carrying out secret negotiations with interested private parties, taking money from those^{[further explanation needed]} who would be granted rights to exploit the country's resources in return. The credibility of this accusation has been questioned by government officials and especially Prime Minister Hun Sen, himself.^[45]

Hun Sen’s Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) has placed bans on public gatherings, driven opposition supporters from the site of former protest meetings 'Freedom Park', and deployed riot police to beat protesters and detain union leaders.^[46]

Hun Sen and his political party, CPP, have held near total dominance over the mainstream media for the majority of their rule. Bayon Television is owned and operated by Hun ManaHun Sen's eldest daughter. Apsara TV is joint-owned by Say Sam Al, CPP Minister of Environment and son of Say Chhum, CPP secretary and the son of CPP Deputy Prime Minister Sok An. CTN, CNC and MyTV are all owned by Khmer-Chinese tycoon, Neak Okhna Kith Meng, one of the State's "Okhna".^[47]Okhna is a title granted by the Prime Minister or the Royal Family to high-profile businessmen, and signifies a very close friendship. Okhna are regularly summoned by the Prime Minister to provide funding for various projects.^[48]

CPP officials claim that there is no connection between the TV stations and the state, despite the obvious prevalence of nepotism. However, CPP lawmaker and official spokesman Cheam Yeap once stated "We pay for that television [coverage] by buying broadcasting hours to show our achievements,"^[49] indicating that those TV stations are pro-CPP because they have been paid for by the state for what is effectively advertising.

A demand for television and radio licences was one of 10 opposition requests adopted by the Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) at its "People’s Congress" in October 2013.^[50]

Dont worry guys. Im about to set up a online club and a course how to meet rich thai women, how to get them to spend a lot of money on you and I will also give a special lection about how to behave in bed with such women. 

The fee to join this club will only be 300 USD - so slightly less than my counterpart in Khon Kaen. 

I will be back with more details later.

8 hours ago, Dobredin Ghusputin said:

 

Some of those might be licensed as museums, based on the average age of their "girls".

 

Based on my observations it could be on the average age of their customers...