Ombra

Last year, I was in Nakhon Phanom and I waited for more than two hours in a quiet office. When I changed my address to Prachuap Khiri Khan, that took nearly two hours in Hua Hin. As someone said, what takes time is waiting for some senior person to sign off on the paperwork.

I buy wax ear plugs from Boots when I am in Bangkok, but even they are not enough to block the sounds of motorcycles or the bass sounds.

That is a good idea. I think that their English is very good, but a letter might be useful just in case. When they look at me, they won't need much persuading that I am in poor health.

I will use an agent next time, but I have left it a bit late this year. I am in an isolated area and haven't searched for a local agent, but it is clearly necessary for the future. Thanks.

That is amazing! And it is great to hear. Thank you very much.

Thanks a lot. I hadn't thought about that. It is in the officers' interest to have few people in the office. Submitting my papers and returning later would suit me fine.

Thank you very much. I agree entirely about the helpful nature of the officers and about their professionalism. I should just speak to them, as you suggest.

Thanks for the suggestion, but I was thinking of going on a Friday and returning on a Monday rather than travelling on consecutive days. My physical problem is poor blood circulation, so that I need to walk around a lot. I can stop when I am driving and do that, but it is not normal to get up and move around in the immigration office. As for hotels, I have tried that and just slept badly because people go to Hua Hin to have a good time, which generally involves making a fair bit of noise.

I am 76 years of age and I am getting noticeably weaker by the year. Next month, I have to make a 260 km round trip to an immigration office, which is as much as I can drive in one day. As I shall apply for permission to continue living in retirement, it is likely to be a long day. Would they allow me to submit it one day and the return another day to collect it so that I can avoid sitting for two or three hours in the office? I am asking this question because there is no-one I can turn to for help. With thanks.

P.S. If you use a bank letter, you need to submit the letter plus a photocopy of it. I didn't have a photocopy and that wasted time.

I got a statement of my account from the Kasikorn Bank. For 100 baht or 200 baht (I don't remember which), they will type your name and address in English.

Thanks for the suggestion. I looked at the bank's website and found the two branches that open at 8.30 a.m.

Yes, thank you. I read somewhere that the immigration office in the mall only does the simpler work. It is like the office I go to do my 90-day report which is at the Singkorn Pass on the Thai-Myammar border. That office has a notice on the door saying that it only does three things and extending permission to live in retirement isn't one of them.

Thanks very much indeed. I didn't know which of the two to choose, but big is usually better.

Thanks very much. I did what I should have done to start with which is to look at the bank's website. It seems that there are two branches in malls, and they open at 11, and two branches outside which open at 8.30. I'll choose one of the latter when I see where they are in relation to the Immigration Office.

Thank you for the suggestion, but I think that banks in malls don't open until after 10. As I have a long day, I'd like to go to bank outside a mall so that I can start an hour or so earlier.

I live about 40 kms south of Prachuap KhiriKhan, and in a couple of weeks time I've got to drive to Hua Hin Immigration to renew my residence visa. On the way, of course, I have to stop at a Kasikorn Thai branch to get the necessary paperwork, but I have never been to Hua Hin before. I would be grateful if someone could tell me which might be the best branch to go to. Thanks.

I was in Makro in Prachuap KhiriKhan yesterday and I noticed that there was no bread or cake flour at all, but it was otherwise much as usual, although the section devoted to western cereals is shrinking, as you might expect.

Fifteen years ago or so, a breakwater was built where I live in the south of Prachuab Khirikhan province. It gave the fishermen sheltered anchorage, but quickly led to coastal erosion. As I had a friend who once studied coastal engineering at Southampton Uni in the UK, I looked to see how many Thai universities had a department of coastal or maritime engineering. There was not one. It was just one subject in the Water Resources departments. No wonder the destruction continues.