Sasquatch Pilaf

Update:

Reading this thread, it seemed that Krung Thai might be the easiest option so I went there first today.

Success - although not completely.

I had been hoping to open a USD account but was only able to open a baht account.

Anyway, it was incredibly simple: passport and details of my hotel address were all that were asked for.

I was able to get a Visa debit card and internet banking access (although I can't use the internet for intl. transfers).

This was the branch on the south side of Sukhumvit Rd right where Sukhumvit begins next to the railroad tracks.

I was able to open a "savings" account, but not a "current" or foreign currency account. To be honest, I don't fully understand what the difference between a "savings" and "current" account are exactly other than the savings has 0% interest. She wasn't able to explain any other differences clearly. It makes sense to me though that people who are on tourist visas and therefore not entitled to earn income in Thailand would be restricted to 0% accounts.

(The requirement you mention for a letter from your embassy is actually mentioned as one of the criteria on the website).

Well, not exactly. The letter was mentioned as an example of an acceptable second form of i.d., not a criteria. I have several other alternate forms of i.d that I brought with me so that I could avoid the letter acquisition process.

Thanks for the other tips though.

It certainly is true that you should not be able to get a bank account here on a tourist visa. I have, in the past, heard that the banks in the Khao San area seem to be a little less formal. I haven't heard this said in the past 2 years but it does stand to reason that if any banks are then it would be the ones that would benefit the most from it.

Not true at all. Bangkok Bank give detailed instructions on how you can open a bank account as a foreigner without a work permit, and you can consult their website to find out.

http://www.bangkokbank.com/BangkokBank/PersonalBanking/SpecialServices/ForeignCustomers/Pages/Openinganaccountnew.aspx

Extract below.

"In Thailand for a short time?

Even if you are only visiting Thailand for a relatively short period of time, you can open asavings account and get a debit card to use for shopping and ATM withdrawals. All you will need to provide is your passport and one other official identification document – for example, your driver’s license or a reference letter from your embassy, your home bank or a person acceptable to the bank. (More details below)

You will also need to provide evidence of your address in Thailand as well as your regular address in your home country."

Yes, their website may say one thing but I'm being told something completely different. Despite showing them a print-out of their website which outlines the requirements, they claim it's out of date and that I need a work permit and (bafflingly) a letter from my embassy confirming the validity of my passport. This was the branch on Sukhumvit rd near soi8.

The branch in the Exchange Tower at Rachiprasidek Rd and Sukhumvit told me that I needed to go to bigger branch since they don't open foreign currency accounts there. That was one of the branches listed on their website that did open foreign currency accounts.

The correspondence between their website and reality is incredibly inaccurate. Lovely customer service.

How long does it take and how much is it? Someone was telling me on another site that it can be done overnight. How much more do they charge for that?

Can anyone recommend the cheapest carrier to Saigon from BKK? I'll be flying sometime between December 29th and January 3rd.

About 3 weeks later I should be flying from Hanoi to Vientiane. Can anyone recommend the most inexpensive way to do that?

Thanks.

Has anyone used this visa service that Sinh Cafe apparently offers?

http://www.sinhcafe.com/visa_on_arrival_at_tan_son_nhat_.htm

They say: We will send all the above information (from the application form) to the Immigration Police , then the Police will provide the Visa approval on arrival. We scan this Visa approval on arrival then send to you by email, you print it for showing to buying airticket and on your arrival.

Give roughly acccurate dates for entry and exit, as per your travel plans.

Forms can be obtained at the Bangkok embassy.

A form looks like that:

http://www.travisa.com/Vietnam/vietnanvisaform.htm

Once the visa is granted you should arrive within it's validity.

Btw: Usually the visa will allow you to enter through HCMC or Hanoi-airports

(Tan Son Nhut or Noi Bai)

Should you plan to use other entry points by land or sea you must tell this in your application.

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Do I need to show a ticket out of the country when I enter Vietnam? I'm planning to fly BKK to HCMC and then pick up a ticket from Hanoi to Vientiane when I get up to the Hanoi area.

Is the link just down right now or does it no longer work?

It seems to me that the basic problem with this is with the use of words like "most". News of these abuses certainly should make the papers. They just need to qualify them as "some", "a few", or possibly "rare" although I don't know how rare these cases are.

What would it cost to do a PADI intro or open water course there? How much time? I'm looking at January or February next year.

Air Asia to Macau then Turbocat to Central, HK (45 mins)

The math isn't as good as it seems. The turbocat is not cheap, see.

Plus you spend twice as long getting from Macau to Hk as you do on the plane itself.

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You can get to HK from Macau for about $140 HK each way which isn't much when you consider that the express train from Central is $100 to the airport each way. You do have to consider the extra time though, a couple of hours.

Hey. Just joined. It'll take me a while to figure out who you are all. Later.