chrisfwilson

Seriously!!!

It has absolutely nothing to do with tourists.

I have a friend who sells clothes in various country markets not visited by tourists and give you the big tip. Not one of the items are original.

Get real for once!!!

She has travel insurance but the company won't pay as she didn't have an appropriate licence and no helmet.

Thanks everyone

Have my own car so it looks like Ban Phu Nom Ron in Kanchanaburi is probably easiest, unless I decide to spend a couple of days in Malaysia

Cheers

And Australian

Hi

Sorry Im in Hua Hin

Hi All

Ive just got my 5th Non Imm O marriage visa for another 12 months

My passport is getting low on available pages so I cannot really afford to visit a country that uses a full passport page for its visa, such as Laos and Vietnam.

I am trying to understand if there is a neighboring country that just uses a passport stamp (like an on arrival 30 day tourist visa in thailand) so I can manage the passport better over the next twelve months (it will expire mid 2017 so I know I need to replace it and get another visa at that time)

I know I could travel back to Australia to achieve my plan but would rather travel closer than that.

Cheers

Chris

its time the government/junta showed backbone.... there will not be any real change in this country until the remaining power of Taksin is relinquenced

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I now have my 5 year licence here in Thailand. When I first sought the licence I also failed the color test (partially color blind) We became friends with DL girls and they said don't go to clinic or hospital (as they must complete the color test) and gave us an address of a doctor, who for 50 baht checked me and filled out a standard report that was acceptable to the DL folk. I have no problems with the DL tests so passed with flying colors. Traffic signals etc are no issue

I'm not sure I understand your post. Are you saying a doctor gave you clearance on your colour blindness, which exempted you from taking the colour test?

No The DL Department stated that the color test (by outside doctors) is not a requirement, only a health check, which this doctor performed and filed the appropriate report.The girls at DL Department stated you only need pass their color tests, which is only the 3 traffic signal colors

A doctor only gives you a health clearance, nothing to do with colour blindness. Half the time it's purely a formality, you pay your 100 baht and they give you a clearance. Then you have to pass the colour test at the Motor Transport Dept, which involves the examiner pointing at the colour (red, green, yellow) all mixxed together on a big wall chart. They just dont show you three colours on a page and ask you to identify them.

Thats what I said...... Difference was that they actually has a traffic signal, not a wall chart and flashed the three colors in different positions on the signal

I now have my 5 year licence here in Thailand. When I first sought the licence I also failed the color test (partially color blind) We became friends with DL girls and they said don't go to clinic or hospital (as they must complete the color test) and gave us an address of a doctor, who for 50 baht checked me and filled out a standard report that was acceptable to the DL folk. I have no problems with the DL tests so passed with flying colors. Traffic signals etc are no issue

I'm not sure I understand your post. Are you saying a doctor gave you clearance on your colour blindness, which exempted you from taking the colour test?

No The DL Department stated that the color test (by outside doctors) is not a requirement, only a health check, which this doctor performed and filed the appropriate report.The girls at DL Department stated you only need pass their color tests, which is only the 3 traffic signal colors

I now have my 5 year licence here in Thailand. When I first sought the licence I also failed the color test (partially color blind) We became friends with DL girls and they said don't go to clinic or hospital (as they must complete the color test) and gave us an address of a doctor, who for 50 baht checked me and filled out a standard report that was acceptable to the DL folk. I have no problems with the DL tests so passed with flying colors. Traffic signals etc are no issue

_{pretty sure that decision has been made already!!}

I am always amused at the responses.

Maybe I wrote it so most of you didn't understand the Post

My point is that the Thai culture allows for things that have specific uses in Western Society to be used in a broader way.

We have just returned from the temple and as some of the replies asked for an update, here goes

Seems that the cycle will go for 6 days, the first 5 are "sponsored" and tonight our village sponsored the event with the last day being the burning of the body. Unfortunately I need to return to Australia next week for work so will not be able to attend.

We were ushered up to pay our respects and pray to her with a stick of incense and then we sat with the family in laws.

4 Monks attended and I was further informed that these represent 1) being born,2) getting old, 3) getting sick and then 4) dying.

We paid for a wreath and most people were very pleased a farang took the time to a) send the wreath and then 2) attend.

I now understand that the pickup had 7 people in it, 4 died and 3 survived, one being a small lad who was tossed clear and suffered no injuries. 2 young girls who now must live with their Aunty.

Such a tragedy..

PS... I placed this here thinking its where it was best suited and agree that in the broader forums it tends to attract less that sincere responses

My wife will not attend as she was gravely ill herself with cancer but overcome it (another truly amazing story for a later time) but she is very good at what the do's and donts are and I will go with some neighbours but thanks for the heads up

Yes its a new experience for me only being a "true" resident for 15 months but being closer to \Thais more than farangs helps in a lot of ways

as I said she was a lovely gir who wouldn't hurt a fly so I am surprised at the thais being so scared. The neighbour left about 30 minutes ago to be with the family at the temple and his house is ablaze with light

Thanks to all who have replied

I live in a small close nit community where my closest friends are Thais.

The Bloke next door is a great guy and would do anything for me and others in the village and we generally meet each Friday to have a "party" with communal food and a a few drinks along the way.

His brother and partner visit quite often and she has always been a bubbly smiling girl, who spoke some English and was always happy to say Hello.

Unfortunately, her mother, sister and herself were involved in an accident (lost control of their vehicle in pouring rain) that saw the mother and sister die instantly but the girl was alive, barely.

This occurred last Friday and unfortunately the dear soul lost her battle and passed away earlier today.

As a bystander I have been very saddened by this tragedy (she really was a great kid) but amazed at the process over the last week. We are facebook addicts and so was she and since the accident there has been a steady flow of information both on facebook as well as from our neighbour. I have been shocked to see photos of the accident posted on facebook, graphical to say the least and met with normality by friends and relatives. The bloke next door and his wife are scared to be alone in their house as they truly expect her to visit them!!

Today the body was returned home and the mourning process has begun but once again photos of her being prepared at the temple were posted on facebook. Tomorrow night I, along with most of the village will go to the temple to pay our respects but I will say its been a very different experience.

I have lived in Thailand now for 18 months and commenced looking for Health Insurance. Luckily my wife use to work for AIA and so she was a great help trying to get the best cover for me (just turned 58).

After about 2 months she was so pissed off with the various Insurance agents she talked with that she rang AIA and got her old job back. She updated her skills and went to some product courses and is now a fully fledged agent.

As a result I now have a pretty good policy, and it wasn't that hard to be honest.

I now know that the insurance game here is very very different than what I had in Australia.

My policy (about 36000 baht per year) is in three parts but could have been 4 (see point 2)

1. Hospital cover (Private) includes 125 days in Hospital up to room cost of 3400 B, but capped at 36,000 each stay. For an operation its 80,000 cap per visit, which includes all medicines etc

2. If under 55 the policy can pay 2500 B per day in hospital (its like salary protection)

3. A Life insurance cover (mine is 20 years) that is like a bank account/death cover that after 20 years yields 200,000 B

4. If I have an accident I can claim up to 1.4 Million (if dead) or 600,000 B maximum but its a sliding scale depending on how hurt you are.

What I have now seen is that you go to hospital for any type of injury and then claim it on insurance. My wife banged her leg, when to hospital where the doctor said stay off it for a week and so she claimed it on insurance (she wasn't really seriously hurt) and will get about 20,000 from the insurance policy she has.

I live in country Thailand, not in a bif falang community but in a quiet rural environment and this was my first Songkran festival. I have heard lots about it from other westeners but where I live really didnt meet those expectations

What I found was its really a two sided coin. There is a huge family orientation centered around the thai new year and the need to be and honour family elders as well as cleansing the budha room and if so desired wishing friends\ and neighbours good life etc

Then there is the public view

Sitting on the side of a road or in the back of a pick-up spraying water on passer-bys endulging in a few ales along the way

All in all it was a great experience, which may have been different if I lived elsewhere??

Its relatively easy to do speeds upwards of 120 K

a) if you know what your doing

consider the conditions and

c) repect other drivers.

What Thai's Drivers do is.... let me think.... NONE OF THE ABOVE

Anyone who blames another for falling for a scam is delusional because for 100% sure they themselves have fallen for scams that many other people would never fall for. So we could just as easily laugh at you but we instead have threads like this as a service to others. And the funny thing is people commenting on this scam don't even know how it works. The trap is far more sophisticated than a group of tuk tuk drivers at the entrance trying to bring people to gem shops or any other such ripoff places. Nor does it involve any well dressed people speaking perfect English. What really impressed me was seeing how they successfully thwarted a Thai citizen from going in.

Interestingly My wife was with us. She has been a sucessful business lady and lived in BKK for many many years. We went to the Kings Palace on Friday afternoon and were fronted by them and she fell for it. It was only on the Saturday Morning that she smelt something fishy and then laid into them and finally the bloke said ok ok go in!! So it happens to Thais as well

Hmmm... Not so sure that it didn't happen to you and your wife because you are not Thai. They may have assumed (and I intend no disrespect to you and am not making any suggestions about you or your wife) that you were the typical Thai less educated, bar girl or similar and Western man couple. And, if that was the case, however misguided such a determination might be, that surely could have been the reason. Sometimes the bar girls play into the scam -- after all, why would they care.

I doubt very highly that they would target Thai/Thai couples or Thais entering alone... Very highly doubt that one -- particular at this particular venue.

So, I don't think it happens to Thais as well (in any significant numbers). This is made special for non-Thais.

My dear wife is far from a bar girl but never the less I dont disagree that they target farang rather than the thai people but they did talk to her and only when they were shoving their tour card in our faces did they talk with us. We have been to most places in BKK so it was a waste of their time but still it was frustrating to say the least.

We live with 2 * 3 star generals in a small (21 home) estate as well as know 3 police (one of which is quite high ranking) and we mentioned it to them, I suspect nothing will happen but it is alwasy good to let the locals know

Anyone who blames another for falling for a scam is delusional because for 100% sure they themselves have fallen for scams that many other people would never fall for. So we could just as easily laugh at you but we instead have threads like this as a service to others. And the funny thing is people commenting on this scam don't even know how it works. The trap is far more sophisticated than a group of tuk tuk drivers at the entrance trying to bring people to gem shops or any other such ripoff places. Nor does it involve any well dressed people speaking perfect English. What really impressed me was seeing how they successfully thwarted a Thai citizen from going in.

Interestingly My wife was with us. She has been a sucessful business lady and lived in BKK for many many years. We went to the Kings Palace on Friday afternoon and were fronted by them and she fell for it. It was only on the Saturday Morning that she smelt something fishy and then laid into them and finally the bloke said ok ok go in!! So it happens to Thais as well

Recently, I visited Wat Pho and was confronted by a Thai man who noticed the Buddha amulet hanging from my neck. He told me that he could take me to the "Master" who just happened to be there on this day. Wow! Honored by this offer, I was then led through a series of passageways, across a small street and into a temple dwelling of an elderly monk. This was the "Master". I knelt before him and he prayed for me and sprinkled water on my bowed head and he then offered me 3 Buddha amulets. One for me, one for my wife and one for my child. I thanked him and asked how I could contribute to the temple. He said the amulet for the man was 1000 baht, 500 for the one for the woman and another 500 for the child's amulet - so that would be 2000 baht total. I was choked and didn't know how to respond. I had been filled with a sense of reverence and awe for the honor of been prayed for by the "Master" monk and now all I could think of was the money being asked for. I hesitated .... Then, he draped a string around my neck and prayed some more. Again, I felt so blessed. I prayed to Buddha to help me not put so much importance on the money issue and simply be grateful for the blessings of this "Master Monk". I then forked over the requested 2000 baht. After a short conversation with this monk I hastily excused myself from his chambers. I walked away quickly, feeling stupid, duped, angry, confused, disappointed and a bit empty - all the time telling myself to let it go. As I exited the temple area where the monk was, I saw the man who had invited me back there walking in with another farang tourist assumably to be "blessed" by the "Master".

I had always given Buddhist beliefs and temples my deepest respect and reverence but now I felt conned and used. I will take full responsibility for my actions - I didn't have to fork over the 2000 baht - my choice. I will learn from this experience and, in retrospect, my advise to others who may meet one of Buddhas solicitors is to know for sure that you don't have to buy Buddha's love. Simply live in the Buddha Spirit of love, kindness and compassion.

I feel much the same way but have been lucky in that respect. Living in a rural environment we meet many devout Buddhists and my wife comes froma big family, some of whom are still monks, one quite respected in the area.

We have never been asked for money when visiting the local temples. My wife, for personal reasons. spent 6 month with a woman monk, who I have grown to respect and adore. I dont know how old this darling lady is but she is always happy to see us, gives us someof her meager posessions as we also give her some money to live. This is the true Thailand..

we took some friends who were visiting thailand for the first time,we were with them most of the time otherwise it was the wf's brother,we were stopped outside by a man in a dark suit and what looked like a name id.arround his neck and he said the same thing as it was it was busy so we carried on walking up the road i spotted this bloke on his mobile talking to another pillock who i spotted running from the entrance to the pier,he approached us and he tried the same thing.all this has been going on for donkey's years in full view of the police

at one of the most if not the most visited places in thailand.

I have seem scams in many places and understand the pitfalls.

My issue as you righly state is that this is the most revered place in Thailand and the most visited and you would think that the powers that be would stamp out this unsightly intrusion in what should be a wonderful experience

Here is a good example of why the correct terminology is important.

It's all in the pinned topics above.

"Hi, Yes I have a multi re-entry O visa"

You have either a multi entry O Visa, allowing 90 days per entry.

OR

a multi re-entry permit on an O Visa that has been extended.

Hi Terry

I last year I applied for a visa, in Australia, to live with my wife here in Thailand

The Thai embassy staff (Australians) recommended that the best (and easiest) visa was a Non Immigration Visa, Classification "O". I also discussed the need to return to Australia multiple times.

I subsequently completed the application form, paid $225 AUD and three days later I had a visa dated 14th June 2012 good for Multiple Journeys. The Visa stated it must be utilised before 13th June 2013.

As I have been back to Australia 5 times since July last I receive a 90 day stamp at the airport customs when I return home to Thailand

The current stamp expires 30th May 2013 however I will travel back to Aust on the 21st April. Based on the advise to my initial post I now assume that when I come home (to Thailand) on the 26th April the Customs folk at the airport will give me another stamp that will be around the 25th July 2013 (90 days) a month after the end date of the 12 month Visa. (15th June)

I plan to be back in Australia on the 1st July 2013 at which time, if the above is factual, I will reapply for a further 12 month Multi journey Non Immigration Visa Classification Type "O"

Cheers

Not clear what you have. Do you have an extension of stay from immigration or a multi entry visa that is still valid? You mention re-entry/customs but you do not use re-entry permits with a multi entry visa.

But if you have a multi entry O visa and return while it is still valid you will get a new 90 day stay even if visa ends the next day - the visa validity is only required for entry - the permitted to stay time remains valid.

Hi, Yes I have a multi re-entry O visa

I plan to be back in Aust on 22/4 so will that mean on re-entry they will give me another 90 days, which will take me past the current 12 month O visa expiry date of 15/6?

I will then go back on the 1/7 where I can arrange another 12 month multi O visa

Cheers