Ystradyfodwg

Betting suspended by British bookmakers that Queen Elizabeth the Second will announce her abdication from the throne on Boxing Day.

Flying to Yangon from BKK next month for a vacation in Myanmar.Have reserved internal flight tickets with Air Mandalay and originally arranged to collect them from Air Mandalay office in Yangon.However,yesterday I had email to say would it be ok for an Air Mandalay representative to meet me at the airport and give me the flight tickets when I give the rep.the US$ in exchange.Last year I collected my tickets from the Air Mandalay office in Mandalay.

My question is am I leaving myself open or am I being overly worried?

Or even walk the short distance to Railay West beach and share one of the regular boats that go back and forth to Ao Nang for BT200 each.Normally leave when they have about 6-8 passengers.Wait varies from a few minutes to half an hour.Enjoy!

Used the above form for travel to Myanmar January 2014 with Thai girlfriend.Got to the Embassy with completed forms,photo etc.about 7-30am-about a dozen people in front of us.Got very busy just before 9am with 2 queues forming.One queue with disciplined westerners,the second 'queue' was mainly Thais pushing in from various directions-stand your ground!Handed forms in within 15 minutes and collected the new visa the next afternoon without problems.

Going to Myanmar again this January but have just received 1 month tourist visa back from Myanmar Embassy in London.Cost £14 for postal order plus Special Delivery either way came to about £30.Passport with new visa returned within 7 days.Unfortunately,I will be accompanying my girlfriend back to the Myanmar Embassy in Bangkok early January as she applies for her visa!

Thanks everyone for all your interest shown but our main aim was only was a short break to Dublin which we easily achieved with a 1 hour flight from Bristol without the need to go overland via Wales or Scotland for that matter.Keep taking the tablets x

Yes she has been to the Rhigos mountain viewpoint a number of times but not to the village of Rhigos.

Took my Thai girlfriend to Dublin this April flying from Bristol without Schengen visa.At present the only requirement for her was a 'in use' 6 month UK tourist visa.No problems at Bristol,a few questions of where she was residing and for how long she was staying by friendly Immigration officer,where a Republic of Ireland visa was given on arrival.Returned after 3 days to Bristol and walked straight through Immigration without a hitch.

Chilly in Si Saket last few nights.

Wouldn't it be a shame if all countries in the world spoke English.Of course it would be easier in everyday life but surely countries that are not 'first language English' would lose out on their culture,history and heritage.

9 °C today

Where please?

With night time minimum temperatures predicted to fall to single figures in Nong Khai next week I'd be interested to know individual experiences of cold weather within Thailand.My coldest experience was being in Ubol Ratchantani one December with overcoat,socks and shoes on feeling quite cold,with the evening temperature probably being about 8c to 10c.

Is the Thai baht about to collapse?

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

I do really wish that some of the negative nellies on this forum would shake the dust from their Crocs and go visit a village some time.

 

The local temple in most places upcountry is the social center of the village, It is often the only form of welfare in the village as well. If a family falls on hard times the kids will be fed at the temple etc.

 

Do I donate? Yes. Do I donate to the big fancy temples? No. My friend (who ordained 8 years ago with the intent on making that permanent,) always said to me if the temple attracts a crowd then why do they need your donations? If the temple helps the poor, then they obviously deserve your donations!.

 

Finally, yes, I also do donate to monks making alms rounds.

Excellent reply Jdinasia.Yes there are many touristy wats that make millions every year but as you say the wats out in the sticks are used for caring for the old and orphans who have nowhere else to go or no one to look after them.Just go and stay in one for a few days and you'll soon realise their importance.

Yes,I was cynical initially with donations every time I visited a wat but after visiting a number of wats in Si Saket regularly I could see that the people volunteering were genuine people with a good heart looking after the elderly and young.

These wats do replace old people's homes and orphanages which we take for granted in the western world.So yes these voluntary donations by the locals have a very important part to play in the running of these temples and there would be a lot more destitute people without the generosity of these donations.

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

I don't think you'll get much response from 'recent' vistors. Thai soldiers tend not to post on Thaivisa.com.

Lots of visitors get to Khao Phra Viearn from the Cambodian side.I just wanted to know if anybody has made the journey from the Thai side recently?

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

Was hoping for a sensible response.

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

With Khao Phra Vihearn being in the news again I was interested to see if anyone has visited the temple recently.I first went from Khunhan in 2003 and regularly enjoyed going there a couple of times a year until my last visit in September 2009 when I was turned back by a Thai military roadblock before entering the national park.Was hoping to hear of anyone who had visited there recently but only from the Thai side Kantaralak/Sri Saket etc.Thanks.

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

With Khao Phra Vihearn being in the news again today I was wondering when was the last time anyone visited the temple from the Thai side Kantaralak/Sri Saket etc?I first went in 2003 and visited the temple a couple of times a year when staying in Khunhan up until my last visit in September 2009 when I was turned back by the Thai military at a roadblock.Would be interested to hear of anyone who has visited the area recently but only from the Thai side.Thanks.


Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

I used to enjoy my temple visits to Khao Phra Vihearn from Kantaralak.I wonder if this will be possible anytime soon again?

Sent from my iPhone using ThaiVisa app

Thanks very much SeaVision Burma for your latest thoughts on this matter.Burma has been on my list to visit for a number if years but have always put it off due to negative views from the Western Press plus also the problems between the Buddhists and Muslims reoccurring these past few years.I travel independently and have visited Cambodia just after the 1997 coup,Sri Lanka during the civil war and Nepal during the Maoist uprising but obviously with the recent ethnic tensions and bombings I'd be stupid not to take notice and plan my travels carefully.Im in contact with a British national who lives in Ngapali who assures me there are no problems there.The British Embassy at the moment still says travel to Ngapali and via the airport in Thandwe is safe.Lets hope everything calms down quickly and the country gets back to normal as soon as possible.Thanks again.

Thanks for the quick response Halfaboy.I have no concerns travelling to Mandalay and Bagan but was a little worried in seeing that the killings in Arakan have moved to Thandwe which is the next town to Ngapali and also yesterday's bombing of The Traders hotel in Rangon and surrounding areas which seems a new development.Still looking forward to my vacation and thanks again for your response.

This coming January I've booked a three week vacation to Myanmar flying from BKK to Mandalay,then onto Bagan,Ngapali,Yangon before returning to Thailand.With recent killings of both Muslims and Buddhists in Thandwe close to Ngapali and with bombs going off in Yangon including The Traders hotel yesterday how concerned should I be about travelling to Myanmar?

Girlfriends brothers and sisters are all fully maxed out on their credit cards,mortgaged to the hilt,monthly payments on 1 Million Baht cars.Very similar circumstances to what happened 6-7 in the UK before the crash of 2007.Its only a matter of time before the same happens in Thailand.

www.canbypublications.com Detailed information on travelling from Sihanoukville to Koh Kong and the Thai border.Hope this helps.

If Thatcher made Britain so 'great' then why do neither her children Mark or Carol live here?

For similar reasons to those of most members here, I imagine.

Carol and her Swiss partner divide their time between homes Klosters and London (according to Wikipedia).

Mark? I met him last year when I was working in London near the Kings Road, he was walking from his house to his local pub and we chatted briefly about what I was doing.

So, despite what it says in his Wikipedia entry, he also has a home in London..

It certainly helps with your mother being Prime Minister.Mark Thatcher today is worth £60 Million+ leaving school in 1971 with just 3 O Levels?