Kaoboi Bebobp

Yup, built already. RFS means ready for service, June 2017. 

Watched the AFL game at the Aussie Pub on Thursday. Bottled beer was 39 baht 6-8 pm. The "pints" beforehand were the 330ml kind, yes, an Aussie schooner. 95-99 baht and not very cold draft beer either whereas the bottles were very cold. Anyway, a very pleasant place with very good service. Too bad it's on soi 11, infested with touts of all kinds.  

For contrast, popped by Hemingway's beside it. Bottles were on special for 90 +VAT. The Aussie beers were a steal -- for this month. But I'm just a visitor.

1 hour ago, petermik said:

They breed them tough in Preston......keep smiling Colin and give the missus a kiss from me (hansum prince) as she is a diamond

"she is a diamond."

^^^This. You truly are blessed and deservedly so after all your personal challenges. You appear to be a "Yes" person. It's a rare outlook and attitude here on TVF and in Real Life. May there be many more Colins. 

High five to Rooster. Well done.

For what it's worth, I decided to end the annual retirement extension process (a.k.a. clusterf**k) and go with the O-A process. At least you get almost two years out of it (plus Re-entry Permit cost in the second year). And I can deal with the application process in a Canadian environment. 

This is the same airline that has the second-worst on-time flight performance record in Vietnam, with nearly 20

% of flights delayed. I can affirm that from personal experience, my current longest flight delay with Vietjet was 4.5 hours, earlier this year. Jetstar is the worst.

Related question: I got a new passport. Is it mandatory to have my soon-to-expire retirement extension transferred to my new passport? Or can I continue using two passports until I get a new extension, which would occur in August? I have entered once on the new passport. My IO is Chonburi.

3 hours ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

Totally agree and in the time frame you specify it is entirely possible. 

 

I stated similar on another thread and was shouted down with a couple of the usual 'defenders of the realm' posting up current GDP figures while totally ignoring the important stats of economic growth. In this regard Vietnam is far ahead.

 

Vietnam is stable and more and more manufacturing and tourism is heading their way.

 

Yup, this month, Vietnam was named among the world's top 15 countries expected to improve GDP growth in 2019 (ranked 9th at 6.6%). Cambodia was ranked 6th (at 6.7%) in forecasts for improved growth this year, along with Myanmar and Laos (both 6.7% GDP growth). Thailand is not on the list. 

Drug stores tend to be cheaper in Bangkok. When I lived in Pattaya, I went to Bangkok frequently, fitting in a visit to SC Drugs on Rama 4, just west past Crown Plaza Hotel. I got a tip about this shop from an old thread in the Pattaya sub-forum.  It has considerable stock. My purchases were considerably cheaper than any medication I could buy in Pattaya, and overall cost was still less, even with the return bus fare thrown in. 

Deleted. Pointless statement of the obvious.

1 hour ago, DingDongLing said:

Yes I am surprised my thread blew up so fast.  Happy to have this discussion. I am still trying to read everything.

 

My question is, you said in Viet, they treat you like an ATM similar to thailand but not in cambodia at those levels.????

 

I am sick of the constant games some thais play trying to get money from me by lying or manipulation.   (I only made 40 baht tip today,,,,,need 500 for taxi. loL)  

Ha! "Need money taxi" is a popular one. I gave up on the girls in TH and VN. As for Cambodia, to be honest, I'm out of touch the last few years really as I spent more time in VN. As for the regular Khmer girls, that will require more current experience. 

I walk 3-4 steps away from the counter and plunge into my passport. I've caught a shortened permission-to-stay date and no stamp on the departure card, which is needed of course for when I leave, showing I had entered legally.

Always always check the entry and exit stamps and departure card within a few metres of the IO counter.

I've been back in Canada for almost a week. Morning temps of 4-7C and afternoons of 10C+ have been a great relief after spending a week in Pattaya/Bangkok prior to returning here. That was stinking hot like I've never experienced there -- 15 years of visiting and living there. It was the same in Vietnam where I live.

I had delayed my return this year to the end of the end of April because of last year's miserably cold and wet spring weather. After this year's wilting tropical heat and humidity, I'll go back to early April returns and take the freezing drizzle, ice pellets, snow and cold wind and rains, thank you. At least you can bear the outdoor weather with proper clothing. 

The biggest collection of former military servicemen used to hang out in Washington Square. Alas, we know what happened to that place. As mentioned above, Justmag, according to many ex-military friends, is one such location for meet-ups. 

I cannot link to it here on TV but look up on FB, Brothers in Arms - Thailand. It's a closed group but send a message to an Admin. They should be able to help you. 

I was at Jomtien immigration on Tuesday this week. Got a sense of a more relaxed, helpful staff. 

Chatted with a guy whose wife accidentally washed his passport, rubbing out the Permitted to Stay date on his re-entry permit. He was worried as he needed to get a Certificate of Residence. The young lad who does the application vetting at the Extension desk, took his passport and came back with a fresh red ink stamp of his stay date. Smiles all round.

I was there to transfer my extension due to a new passport. Did not know about the requirement for an embassy stamp or letter saying this old passport and new passport are for the same person. The same young lad went off a couple of minutes and brought a sample of an embassy stamp of a fellow Canadian. 

Well done. 

I did notice though that extensions are taking longer due to vetting of bank statements and the like. 

55 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

My retirement extension in Thailand costs me 2000B per year, all-in. It takes me under one hour to obtain at an office that is a 10 minute walk from my condo (which I own outright with no limitations) and requires no special paperwork of any type. If I like I can stay here indefinitely without ever leaving, or if I prefer I can leave as often as I like for a total extra cost of 3900B.

 

Someone please let me know when any other SE Asian country even comes close to that.

Yep. The Thai visa/extension system is a lot cheaper. I have the Thai retirement extension. Viet immigration is getting very greedy. Yet, as someone else points out above, foreigners can set up and own their own businesses and work in their own businesses without much trouble. Of course, things could change, as they do in VN. 

1 hour ago, 5633572526 said:

My 1 year multi entry visa was only $125.00 usd but I think the number of countries this is available to is limited. You can get a visa on line for Vietnam maybe check your options there. This is my second consecutive visa and the only contact with immigration officials is entering and exiting at the airport. No tm30 or tm28, no 90 day reports. I couldn’t even tell you where an immigration office is located. 

That tourist visa, with mandatory 90-day departures, is only available to Americans due to a bilateral reciprocity treaty between VN and the US. But yeah, lack of paperwork/reports in VN is a plus.