haikurd

At Mae Sai at least no problems re-entering on second entry of 3-entry tourist visa today. No questions asked, they did not care that I had been in the country 5 months last year and 3 months already this year. The travel agent called the immigration office there before I left and apparently the real red flag at Mae Sai is if having serious overstays. BTW travel agent said that the idea of needing to travel around a lot/stay in hotels to show you are a "real tourist" is something they have never heard of, they said "of course you can be a tourist and stay in one place for three months."

OP, I suggest you find a good travel agent and ask them, mine was great, called around before I made the trip including to Mae Sai immigration office. Much of the advice floating around TV and other expat forums is speculation or specific to some immigration points.

I would say go with option one, the news on TVF seems overly influenced by what's happening at the Southern border land crossings and a lot of crotchety folks not even affected by the changes on TV sounding the alarm. Of course I may feel differently tomorrow after my Mai Sae run.

I applied for a Cambodian visa online a few years ago and never actually received it, ended up just getting one at the border - so you may want to investigate that further before applying. I liked PP quite a lot but I was there for work short-term. I haven't heard great things about Sihanoukville.

Anyone have any information on people being turned away with tourist visas at Mae Sae, or is this only happening in Malaysia? I have used one tourist entry, one extension, and was planning to stay another six weeks on the second entry of my multiple entry. Was planning to go Saturday for the border run...

The consulate that issued my original multiple entry visa in April and the immigration officer that granted extension were satisfied that I qualified for a tourist visa even though I'm staying in one city the whole time (I told them *exactly* what I'm doing here and they had no problem with it)...so please hold the "you're gaming the system" comments. I'm happy to obey the "rules" but they're hardly clear at the moment, and it's difficult when they change mid-trip!!!

This is very common in the North, it often happens at offering/spirit dance ceremonies & is more of a pre-buddhist/animist belief. It generally has nothing to do with black magic and the spirits usually seem OK & not harmful, although I've heard they can stick around too long or that they can be the spirits who are unhappy because they can't "settle," in which case intervention might be required.

The best way to be sure is to contact insurance providers on the exchange (I guess in your home state or state you were last living in) and ask them - the health care exchange people themselves probably won't be able to answer this. The cheapest HMO coverage is only for standard care "in network" but still covers emergency care in Thailand (or anywhere else I am). The more expensive plans which allow out-of-network doctors might cover care overseas.

I don't think it's so much a generational thing - you think there weren't young people not working in the 60's, 70's, and 80's? A big part is that the new-entry job market has been terrible for young people for the last few years. A lot of younger people I meet here have finished school but were unable to find a decent job (one with prospects of a career or to even learn anything very useful). Spending a year or two abroad where they can travel, not spend so much money and figure out what to do is better than sitting around unemployed at home. For other young people it's a chance to see the world while the cost is relatively low for them (early 20's) before they settle down or go to grad school. A year or two teaching English abroad, especially if you learn the local language, is probably better than working flipping burgers or being unemployed the same length of time at home.

For somewhat older people here for long stints of time (30s-50s), many were either laid off and unable to get another job or taking time off between jobs, or they're completely burned out & taking time off. Many people can do pretty well working online independently. Others are doing seasonal work at home and spending off-season here.

What an awful thing for everyone involved. Very sad, current conditions may be very different where this fellow was from, likely he didn't realize the danger. Have heard many stories of near-misses from friends who were used to Atlantic beaches in Americas and went to Pacific beaches for the first time...people are used to their own environment & do not realize the danger.

I had naptime in preschool in the US in the 1970's, I hated it (my parents were very permissive about letting me sleep when I wanted, not a schedule). I mostly pretended to nap while trying to engage other kids (rolling a ball, making eye contact, whispering, whatever), Some kids were out cold though for the whole hour, so guess they needed it. The irony is that as an adult I LOVE naptime, lie down after a quick bite at 12:30 or 1:00 and snooze for an hour - that is living the dream. Some of my employers have even had facilities for staff to lie down & nap, 100% support it. I have my best thoughts when sleeping, not unusual to have a problem that seems intractable, go to sleep and wake up a few hours later with everything sorted out.

I'm not against smokers, I used to smoke, and enjoyed it greatly. But I also know, as an ex-smoker, that you don't need any research to know that smoking is bad for you. You can feel it constricting your lungs & just in general making you sick. If you are a smoker, that's your choice, there are some great benefits to smoking, but please don't try to deny that smoking also causes lung cancer & respiratory and heart problems. And please - if we respect your choice to smoke - please don't pretend that it isn't unhealthy & unpleasant for those around you, or accuse them of being the "puritan police." It has been well established in the US that as soon as smoking in public places is banned deaths from heart attacks go down. So - yes, please enjoy your high, but do so in a manner that doesn't place others at risk - in a very well ventilated/open area unless everyone else there is a smokers. And don't even think about smoking in an enclosed area around children, if you do that you are really scum. Smokers I see here in CM are very responsible, for the most part they smoke lightly and when they do ask those with them and the hosts of the establishment if it's OK; if it's posted no-smoking (like Walking Street) they respect that and don't light up. At the same time people here are super OK if you do smoke, I've never seen anyone try to shame a smoker for smoking or make it into a moral issue, maybe they direct you to another place, but since so much is open air and relatively few people smoke, it's not that inconvenient for anyone. It's not hard at all for everyone to get along. The bottom line is, though, that it's *your* habit, not everyone else's, so you have to take the responsibility for ensuring it's not bothering other people.

If you happen to find that the costs of smoking outweigh the benefits for you, I encourage you in your efforts to give it up; it's very difficult but once I did I kicked myself for not doing so earlier. I feel so much more energy, and no longer have any of the respiratory problems that plagued me when I smoked; or the pain in my chest. It feels good to feel healthy and be able to engage in physical activities with more gusto. And there are many products available (gum, the patch, e-cigarettes) which enable you to feel the effects of nicotine without the harm from smoke - many people I know continue to use these well past the recommended period (years, not months) and why not, they get the high without the most harmful side effects.

I haven't had an issue at all with cigarette smoke in CM, not so many people who go to small restaurants smoke or on the street (I don't hang out in bars), typically if there is a smoker they're asked to go on the street or outside. Many places are open air so it doesn't bother me at all. BUT- air quality in March/April is from what I've heard horrible when people are burning fields, so avoid that time.

Lots of folks laughing, but bag snatching from a moving vehicle should actually be classified as violent assault, several people I know (all women) have been seriously hurt by this in various countries, one dragged behind a car for several meters and her entire left side virtually skinned, one had her arm and shoulder wrenched - took a couple weeks for the bruising to go down, that jarred shoulder may give her problems for a long time. It is not like pickpocketing or just stealing a bag, the person who is targeted is often hurt. Women often wear their bags with the strap across their bodies rather than on one shoulder, exactly to make them less of a target for a bag-snatcher - but then if someone grabs it and pulls you cannot get out of it. Better to carry it in your hand and not have too much money, don't wrap the strap around your wrist either, and walk against traffic. Better to lose your bag then get hurt.

If you've had roaches, it's not a bad idea to wipe down all surfaces (interior shelves, cabinets, floors, especially the corners) with soap and/or a light bleach solution, 1) this ensures there's not something on the surface that might be attracting them 2) all their shit which they leave everywhere and which is allergenic is cleaned up. Be careful bringing anything into the house that might harbor them - I had some once from a wicker basket I brought in (not in Thailand) that I guess had eggs on it, but they could get into any old books/papers/furniture/plants etc. If you see them very occasionally I wouldn't worry too much, use the borax and clean up, but if you see a lot (multiple roaches every day) don't delay- call pest control & talk to building management.

You know, maybe if don't get Lao after a few trips there maybe you just don't get it, and that's OK. Things have changed so rapidly there in the last few years, even locals say for the worse (especially in Vientiane!). I still think if you're open to the local culture and to a quieter experience (not looking for Vang Vieng, which is shut down anyway) it can be quite sublime. But to someone else that might be "a boring Lao town." I thought Vientiane had great places to eat and really loved it, a friend went there and complained that it was awful (he was vegetarian and on an extreme backpacker budget, that probably made a difference). Even with the touristy aspect to LP which I mentioned in my previous post, I would recommend it for a few days, very nice guest houses for a reasonable rate, see the waterfalls, enjoy walking along the river, seeing the mist settle in the town in the morning and the sunset from the hilltop temple at night. You can buy some phenomenal silks and basketwork there, amazing things that people still make by hand. I really enjoyed a short trip to Champassak which is a pretty non-touristy town being promoted as a base for climbing and hiking trips, it's also a colonial small town set by a river, there is a Khmer ancient temple about 40 minutes away (Vat Phou) which is not reconstructed, if you are into energy or a romantic poet it is an ideal location. If you're in Vientiane check out the Makphet restaurant run by Friends International and the COPE museum for victims of UXO. My friend (the same one who didn't like Vientiane) said he had heard that Vang Vieng was actually great now that the crazy bars had been shut down, if you want to just get a quiet place to stay in a beautiful natural environment. It just depends on what your expectations are and what you find interesting.

OP, if you had an "altercation" with the immigration officer, I would say you're lucky to be back in the country at all.  It's perfectly reasonable for them to ask what you're doing in the country, if you're working, and how long you plan to stay.     

Does anyone have more specific information about the upcoming rule change on back-to-back tourist visas?  E.g. will there be some max you can stay in the country per year on tourist visas, or some minimum time before you can re-enter?

I went four years ago and loved it, spent a weekend there,loved LP and Laos in general. Then went back recently, stayed in a guest house downtown, and it just seemed very touristy, even giving alms to the monks was some crazy tourist show (which I didn't remember from last time at all, a line of monks and three times as many tourists lining up to take photos, tour packages to "give alms to the monks" advertised in the guesthouse - seriously.). The waterfalls were really nice, market is also nice if you want to buy anything, good restaurants, nice shops & cooking schools, beautiful setting, wonderful culture. For better or worse Laos though is developing quickly and things are changing.

Thank you all, you have saved me from a wild goose chase trying to find the "new" location.

I want to extend my tourist visa and heard that Chiang Mai immigration has moved or is moving to a new location, I checked out their website but it is all in Thai. Does anyone have any more information on whether immigration in Chiang Mai has moved, is moving and if so when, and where the new location is?

Thank you very much.

Someone said this but bears repeating - give yourself a "rest" day every other day - either do something else like swimming or do really light running and focus on drills on the off day. You will improve faster if you mix it up a lot and keep it interesting.

RE seeing a doctor - it is pretty normal for your legs to get tired when you run. Especially if you used to run and are just picking it up again after a long time, and your body is trying to match what you were doing when you were 19 right away. It's always good to get a check-up and discuss things like this with a doctor, but if you're running 10k in an hour and your muscles don't hurt on otherwise, you're are probably pretty healthy.

If you don't have any pre-existing knee problems, running is very good for you. Could be you've just gotten a bit out of shape and need time to build you leg muscles up? Take it slow and build up gradually. It does take you longer as you get older - even 19 to 29 : ) . You could be toe-ing off too hard - focus on raising you leg from the hip, not launching yourself with the ball of your foot. There's tons of stuff on running technique on line, I use the Pose Method. Finally, a good chance you calves & feet are too tight (e.g., the muscle is "clenched" all the time) & if that's true your hips are probably tight to. You can roll it out with a baseball - for tight outside of leg, sit in a kneeling position, and put the baseball just to the outside of the shin and shift your weight onto it - do on about 3-4 spots per leg. For backside of the leg, move the baseball between your calf & thigh in the same position, and under your knee. You can do all up the outside of the thigh as well with a ball or foam roller. If your goal is to keep running a long time with no injuries, you should be doing something like this after every run, and also ankle/knee mobility exercises, that will protect you from shin splints and knee injury. The key is not trying to "stretch" the muscle but "relaxing" a clenched muscle so it moves properly.

Maybe the issue is that Anglo-American culture says please, thanks and sorry a lot - it's not necessarily the norm in other places but that doesn't mean it's rude. Like standing in line or being in time, in some places those are like moral obligations and it's an outrage if you break the code, in others people just don't see it as big deal.

I'm with the poster above who basically said, who cares? If I help someone out it's because I can and because it feels right to do so, one thing if the help just wasn't needed and then it's good to know, but I'm not doing it for the recognition.

Sometimes some Westerners do really go out of their way to help people because that's the way they were brought up, that can be perverted into "do-gooderism" but mostly it's one of the nicest things about our culture, I think it can surprise people you weren't brought up that way, maybe it confounds some of the stereotypes about how farang are supposed to be. But Thai people often surprise me by doing small nice things that no one would ever think to do where I come from, but to them seem perfectly natural.

Ha ha, I try to order in my basic Thai at my favorite spots and the owner immediately turns around and translates into actual Thai for a very confused looking server. Once I asked for a spoon and ended up with a Chang beer.

I have had similar experiences in Latin America & Europe a few times, but not here at all, generally people love it that you make an effort to learn their language, it shows respect. It goes both ways though, their speaking in English to you shows their effort to respect foreign guests & make life easier for us. Probably around 99% of foreigners who come through don't speak Thai, and are very glad to be able to communicate in English even if it's not their first language. The staff have often been hired because they speak some English, they want to show they're doing their job and improve. For better or worse English is an international language, speaking it means higher pay and better opportunities not just in Thailand but in other non-English speaking countries. Be glad it's still English - tourist-oriented places here are snapping up people who speak Chinese or requiring staff to learn it.

Give the shopkeepers a break, if they speak to you in English it's not meant as a slight (and *definitely* not an inferiority complex or "colonial mentality"). If you want practice it's easy enough to get, maybe try some different places, the market, etc.

Mexico has "the most miserable food ever"???? If you traveled in Mexico and found the food "miserable" - sorry, that's your fault. Maybe if you focused on finding what you liked rather than what you didn't like to eat you'd have a better experience? You can find bad food anywhere.

The home-cooked food I've had SE Asia & India was usually much better than food in the average restaurant (depending on the cook), but I find this true in the West too. And there's such diversity of food and eating establishments I can always find something good. For fresh street food I usually ask them to hold the sugar, MSG & brown sauce and add extra chili pepper. I'll take Thai street food over McDonald's any day, or over Thai food in the States - usually even the good Thai food in the US is plain; they can't get fresh spices and flavorings, it's too time-consuming or expensive to prepare with fresh spices/ginger etc, or they just give up because most Westerners prefer bland food.

The worst eating experiences I have had, in Thailand and about 4-5 other countries, were on guided tours where they stop at a restaurant for lunch. I've never been on one where the food wasn't bad and sometimes inedible. In my experience any large establishment that caters exclusively to foreigners tends to be bad.

What's the safest thing to do if there's a tremor? I'm in a standard 2-story cinderblock small apartment building, I went down to the courtyard but realized with all the power lines and density of buildings if there was a large quake it wouldn't be too safe down there either. My neighbor said best to stay under the bed (metal frame but flimsy).

Keep trying, nicotine is a hard addiction to break, but you can do it and it's worth it. If you can do it by willpower that's great but my attitude is do whatever works. I used nicotine gum (nicorette) which you can get in any Thai pharmacy, I still use occasionally but it's better than smoking. Also - when you want a smoke - go for a walk or run! Increasing exercise is the best way to deal with cravings.