Astrill beats Express hands down.

9 hours ago, Sambotte said:

That's the main point imo.

I am a traveller, but find Thailand the best place, and want to be able to live in maybe 6-8 months a year, variable, free (no planning).

 

And the Elite visa is not necesarely more costly in fact.

 

Could some "Elite members" confirm there is absolutely no known problem with this Visa ? 

It is basically a glorified tourist visa. Officially you can not get a 5 year driver's license renewal is one con.

I went to CW and sat and waited for several hours until lunch time. I was one number away from being called when the IOs all shut down for lunch. I went home. I have been traveling with two passports ever since, that was 4 years ago. I travel out of the country every other month, no one at the immigration booths has ever said a thing one way or the other about me having the visa in the old passport. Why bother going through the hassle of getting a new sticker in the new passport?

1 hour ago, jacko45k said:

It was over 55 THB/GBP in August 2015.

Brexit has already benefited Sterling.

It was over 90 baht to the pound sterling in January 1998

24 minutes ago, transam said:

Yeh, just read that, and if I got it right, if a farang builds/owns a house but not the land it stands on, a "blank" blue book can be issued for the use of future Thai residence...?

Yes, I have one of those for my house.

On 2/11/2020 at 10:46 PM, sniggie said:

For us two-stroke fans the reduction in the number of PTT sites supplying pure benzene is concerning. Alcohol is supposed to wreak havoc with the crankcase seals. The nearest places where I can buy a can full are now some 60ks away in the larger cities. Let's hope that it doesn't vanish completely.     

Crankcase seals? The alcohol/benzine is burnt in the combustion chamber. How would that affect crankcase seals?

13 hours ago, Sujo said:

why would you bother talking to imm in your own country. They cant refuse u. Give passport, take it and go.

I do not agree. Once, going into my home country I was asked by the immigration officer what I did for a living. My response was: " I do not believe it is any of your business". WRONG answer. I was escorted to a private room and put through the wringer for over two hours. I was also told that the next step would be body cavity searches if I didn't suddenly revise my attitude. I became very contrite.

On 2/8/2020 at 5:36 AM, gk10002000 said:

Yeah, and one or two really long pinky fingernails. That seems to be popular among Asians or drug users.  Good for scooping up lines of coke I guess

Actually the long pinky nails denote that you are not a blue collar worker. As in you don't use your hands to do physical labor.

2 hours ago, SteveK said:

Oh in that case I agree with you 100%. UK is an awful place to live unless you need the free healthcare.

Free healthcare? No such thing as free anything.

On 1/27/2020 at 3:09 PM, Salerno said:

Haven't had mine stapled for years ... figured it was cost cutting 

 

OP I take it one of you filled both in or pretty sure you could recognise the handwriting. If leaving together don't worry about it, if the IO picks it as the wrong one you're both there anyway to swap.

I heard a rumor as to why they quit using staples to secure the TM6 in a person's passport. Supposedly since it is forbidden to alter or deface a passport, it was determined that stapling did in fact deface a passport so that is why they stopped. But again, just a rumor.

2 hours ago, MartinL said:

I'm absolutely amazed at the number of her friends, workmates and acquaintances who my wife tells me have died of mareng dtap = 'liver cancer' - which i suspect is a catch-all for many liver diseases, maybe also gall bladder disease - over the years. i think there were 5 last year alone. In EVERY case, she's followed-up the news of their death with "He used to drink so much ... ".

 

Liver cancer was a rarity when I was in UK but so common here. 

Can also be caused by liver flukes that come from undercooked fish and home made "million year old fish sauce". Very common in Esarn. My father-in-law died from it.

On 1/24/2020 at 4:32 PM, Just Weird said:

It can be done.

Just a hell of a lot more expensive

Drifter's Beach Cafe on NaJomtien beach. Tony from down under is the proprietor. All Aussies and wannabe Aussies welcome.

20 hours ago, exparte said:

We will see a lot more of this in Thailand. Hyperinflation; factory mass terminations; and a sanctimonious self serving government.

Hyperinflation? Have I missed something?

On 1/18/2020 at 7:33 PM, ukrules said:

Really, do you have an Elite visa and find the service unacceptable?

No, just not amazing. Barely acceptable.

1 hour ago, TTSIssues said:

Having had an elite visa, I can assure you the service is amazing - but you know the price. If you have plenty of spare cash then do the elite, if not do the retirement. 

Service is amazing? How so? I have found it exactly the opposite.

On 1/14/2020 at 9:40 PM, Mitkof Island said:

Most do smile at me. Thai Immigration has always been polite and respectful and i have no issues meeting friendly FREE women. Maybe its just you and the other Thai haters . You think?

Ain't no such thing as a FREE woman

I used to have RLS off and on and could never figure out what triggered it. I finally deduced it was MSG (MonoSodiumGlutamate). Once I started concentrating on eliminating that from my diet, I never experienced RLS again.

36 minutes ago, DannyCarlton said:

Have you got the slightest evidence for this pile of nonsense? Have you even been to Thailand?

I would venture to guess that she is Thai