sandyf

When I said the electrics were in pipework, I meant metal plumbing pipes. Added a photo to the post.

Quite a bit actually. Foreigners tend to surround themselves with more combustible material than Thais.

I was in a hotel in Udon last week where electrics had been put in surface pipework and used as "Decor". Ball valves on the wall lights etc !!! Must admit, not to my taste.

Quite. I use Chonburi DLT, that has been rebuilt in recent years, downside is they included a video room, never had one before. When I went last year to make an appointment she said when do you want it, this afternoon or tomorrow.

Without a doubt. Vacuum packing is a bit hit and miss, I have seen the cheese start to discolour before the use by date but wax should be good for years. When I was in RAF training in the early 60s we were fed "compo" rations from WW2, everything was in tins and as good as the day it was made, only problem was the tin opener was in a tin. Wax coating would be as close as you could get to being tinned.

The easiest is an E-visa but it costs $50.

Statement is badly worded. What you did was a visa status conversion which would have been for 90 days from 28th December followed by a 12 month extension which would run from 26th March 2023 till 25th March 2024. Normally a first extension would reset the clock on 90 days but by doing the conversion and extension concurrently I would think that this has not happened and the 90 day reporting requirement from date of entry would apply.

Many a true word said in jest. This may help trade a bit but do little for tourism. I came across the Nong Khai border about 3pm on 26th Jan and couldn't believe how quiet it was. There was no one at the immigration desks in Laos and when I got off the bus on the Thai side by the time I had filled in the TM6 everyone else had gone through.

Quite easy, 2 points in Thailand going to one in Laos. When we were in Nakhon Phanom my wife went across on the boat, Thai foot passengers only. I am fairly sure I saw another pier on the Thai side further along the river probably going to the same pier on the Laos side. These "checkpoints" are nothing like what we would normally see.

Exactly. My E-visa was due to expire on 23rd Nov(90 day visa). Early Nov I applied for a 12 month extension, this is taken as reporting and resets the clock, at the end of the under consideration period I was given the 1st Feb as the date for my first actual 90 day report, which I did online. I have entered the country several times on a new visa and then done a 12 month extension and it has always been the same, no 90 day reporting for nearly 6 months. I don't think the same policy applies in other scenarios which may cause some confusion.

Entirely up to them. Paper wrapped cheese has a very short shelf and I wouldn't see any point in bringing something you have to eat straight away or put in the freezer. Wax coated cheese has a shelf life of around 3 months and vacuum packed several weeks.

Never thought of a haggis pizza but sounds great, pass on the blue cheese. The lunar new year and Burns night were close together this year. The Travel Show featured a chef in Edinburgh making haggis spring rolls, no cheese involved.

Your statement about every transaction was gross exageration. I only go to the bank when doing an extension and you obviously think I am stupid in not knowing when my visa is being checked. It is only a few weeks since doing my last extension and the bank copied my pasport but they never asked to see my visa.

One day people will wake up to the fact that Thailand and China have historical relationship that transends tourism. Highly likely that a percentage of the government are of Chinese descent and the Chinese, unlike the west, have tremendous respect for their ancestors. If people got off the bar stools and out and about they would see the huge Chinese graveyards dotted around the countryside.

Garbage, the validity of my visa has not been checked since 2014. People are up in arms because Thailand has abandoned the old ways and followed the ways of the west. How easy is it for a foreigner visiting a western country to deal with the banks? You are quite entitled to believe you are a permanent resident and entitled to special treatment. There is no dispute the 90 day timeline is quite tight and immigration could make things easier if they said a 12 month extension will only be granted to those on a 12 month ME visa.

Quite. Each to their own, I am not into soft or blue cheeses, prefer flavoured cheddar.

Of course it is. Bank staff are obliged to check that customers are entitled to receive the service being offered, a fairly standard global requirement. Very difficult to open an account anywhere without proof of address with services being subject to varying requirements. I tried to open an account with HSBC and they wouldn't do it until I proved I paid income tax in the UK.

Your disability card would mean nothing to them but some IO's do show some consideration. Several times my wife has been told she could return alone, that I did not need to go. It would be best to have someone with you to take the documents to the desk and you can remain seated, the queue system does not differentiate. I only ever go to the desk for the photo, not disabled, just old.

Why bother, you can buy ordinary cheese here for less than 1000 baht/kilo, the "good stuff" is just unavailable. These are particularly tasty. https://www.cheshirecheesecompany.co.uk/caramelised-onion-rioja-cheddar-200g-wax.html

My observations extend beyond T21, beyond Pattaya and beyond Thailands borders. Of course you are perfectly free to believe all Chinese visitors are heading for Pattaya and T21.

Why on earth would anyone even consider bringing cheese that was not vacuum packed.

Your first sentence was wrong and your last spot on. I entered on 26th August on a new E-visa and my 90 day report was due 1st Feb.

I wouldn't dream about putting it in the hand luggage. Cheese is a dairy product and not allowed to be carried in. If picked up by security almost certainly confiscated. I always put it in the hold luggage, well wrapped and in a jiffy bag and then in the centre of the suitcase. Hold luggage gets quite cold and will remain cool during transit.

The OP has a Windows computer, not a mobile device. NTFS is a more flexible and reliable file system than FAT and a hard drive is more robust and reliable than a flash drive. End of story.

Obviously a newbie, that bar complex is now Central.