philthebook

Bordernews: HDVisa had 7 customers with tourist visa today that were not allowed to cross the border into Thailand at the Sungai Kolok border.

Full Story: http://www.samuitimes.com/visa-update-herbert-hd-visa/

New Hut Bungalows on the beach in Lamai

http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Hotel_Review-g1188000-d1389518-Reviews-New_Hut_Bungalows-Lamai_Beach_Maret_Ko_Samui_Surat_Thani_Province.html

The kids families probably did not know that they were being sold to work as flower sellers/slaves on the streets, these gangs are clever, they would spin some story to the parents that they will be taken in by some Thai family that are unable to have their own kids, they are going to have a better life etc.

They do still make them but not for the Thai market, Vietnam have the new ones.

Great bike, try and get a late model 2nd hand one with full injection.

I took my bike on the Haad Rin Queen boat to Koh Phangan from samui last month, 300baht, riding down the pier on Samui was a bit scary.

I know just 1 Chinese Restaurant on Chaweng, it's in Soi Colibri left hand side. Another is at Samui Palm Beach, but don't know exactly about quality.

I wonder if the member is looking for westernized Chinese which then leads to an even bigger issue as all western countries have their own play on Chinese food. I'm very partial to beef with green pepper in black bean sauce and have eaten this particular dish in a couple of dozen countries and they have all been very unlike each other. Even in the UK, the dish in London is markedly different to that in Liverpool.

Couple of links to show variation....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chow_mein

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chop_suey

Yes I prefer western style Chinese, I have a craving for beef in black been sauce and roast duck in pancakes.

Surprised there are so few Chinese restaurants on the Island with all the Chinese visitors here.

Any Chinese restaurant recommendations around Chaweng?

I am also trying to decide between S5 and Z1 or Z2, leaning more towards the Sony at the moment, great looking phones but waiting for stock and price of the Z2 here on Samui before I decide, might just go for the Z1 as it's not much different to the Z2 and my current S4 is just about to die so cant wait much longer.

Made an account just for this. This is a particularly big problem for my Vietnamese fiance and I, from the USA. I can get a 1 year visa but we were planning on doing visa runs when she wasn't traveling back to Vietnam. We just got a home in Thailand because it was the easiest for both of us to have visas here before we get married. Now we don't know if we should stay here or if we need to find another country or go back to our home countries until we get married in a year or so.

I am not sure what we are going to do or how this will play out but I hope we can both get visa's here. We will find out Thursday if and how this affects us and we will report back.

I don't know but the Mods will know and will no doubt be along shortly to advise

Good luck BTW

Thank you. We are hoping for the best. We just spent 50,000THB on this place. If we can't stay here now it's likely we'll be forced to either Indonesia, Cambodia or Malaysia. We can both get visa's relatively easily there, but it's really quite terrible timing for us since we just paid all of this money for a place, we had planned on buying a hotel here and already have all the bank documents completed. Now we don't know if we can invest here or not for our future. This might be a minor inconvenience for some, but really is a life altering decision for us. My friend woke me up today and told me to read this thread and I instantly got sick. Like I said, we will report back.

Maybe an ED visa would be suitable for her? Thai language course or Massage course, then when you open a business maybe you can get her a work permit?

Good luck.

Correct, and the clock starts from the date you enter Thailand, not the date the visa was issued

Are you certain about that?

If the visa is valid for 3 or 6 months. It's from the day the visa was issued. Yoy can see the date on the visa

6 month visa

My apologies, I was referring to to 1st 60 days on arrival, visa was issued on 5 feb, my last entry into Thailand needs to be by 4th aug (visa states 'Enter before 4th Aug' at which point I can still stay another 3 months, so it will be just under 9 months but if you time it right you could get a full 9 months

Correct, and the clock starts from the date you enter Thailand, not the date the visa was issued

Are you certain about that?

Yep, looking at my passport now, visa was issued on 5th feb, I entered Thailand on 15th feb and visa stamp was dated 15th april = 2 months from date I arrive in Thailand, not the date the visa was issued

Can anyone confirm this apples to all nationalities? Me and my girlfriend read this over and we don't understand why it says "เช่น เกาหลี ฯลฯ" and specifically singles out Korea. We just called the Chiang Mai immigration office and they said we still get 4 entires x 30 days without a valid visa AND on the 11th 9:00PM at Mae Sai I was given 30 days (tourist visa expired on the 13th) and was told in no uncertain terms we get 4 entires at 30 days each. I'm getting suspicious this doesn't apply to all nationalities or they're profiling certain countries.

I agree.. they are holding a trump card, posting the correct signs for certain countries, and perhaps doing the best they can (without looking fickle) for us guys...(I hope).

But at this point, I am taking no chances, getting that triple....I need an annual 3 month reality check annually. Triple it is, each year, at the consulate in PI.... 3 months out...9 in (3X entry with 3 extensions) . I think it's legal that way....correct?

1. Last I received a .2x tourist visa in Laos the validity was only 3 months which would make it possible only for 6 months (2x). Are they giving 6 month validity in some places? Slippery, where are you staying in PI and where are you doing the visa? Are they making it tough, or relatively easy process?

2. Has this crackdown been applied to those exiting to Laos for making a tourist visa? Or is it only the 30 day Mae Sai / Rayong deal? Please don't infer. Only if you know or have personal experience.

1. Correct...double entry with two extensions (2nd entry within 3 months)

2. Triple entry according to a previous poster is available in manila...read the early poster.

Then it would be 2 months and and extension for each entry... (9 month)

Correct, and the clock starts from the date you enter Thailand, not the date the visa was issued, so I will get 9 months in total.

2 months on arrival plus 1 month extension, then do a border bounce, and repeat = 9 months, then go spend 3 months back in Philippines and re apply for another triple entry. I did my 1st border bounce yesterday, I just politely said to the immigration officer, 60 days please and he just nodded his head and I my new stamp is now up to 9th July

3. I fly into Clark on Tiger Air for usually less than 6000 Round Trip. I lived in Subic Bay.

The Thai consulate/embassy is in Manila....(again, the previous poster knows the address in Manila...but easy to look up.

Thai Embassy is in Makati in a very nice area with good shopping malls and not far from the bars and as I said before, very efficient, I was in and out within 5 minutes. Very easy to get to, bus from Dau in Angeles to Makati (130 peso), Taxi to Embassy (50peso)

4. I may ask around in Angeles City (Clark) at the agencies...if they have a service for obtaining the 3X visa in Manila. Perhaps somebody else knows this

It's so easy to do yourself, no need

5. I will not infer the expiration date of the 3X visa....only know logically that it is more than the double entry....and not a problem....as long as you check the expiration before your 2nd exit/3rd entry. The poster who just acquired his 3X visa has all that info.

Anyone got current news from the land border crossings? . Are the border shuttles still running or shutting down? Other than than Mae Sot and just the one Russian lady at the airport (who was arguably an object lesson...) we don't seem to be hearing any reports of arrivals being turned back.

I did a visa run yesterday (Sunday) to Malasia, nobody had any problems

So typical of the crap through which the rest of us are having to wade. A tourist visa is good for 60d, extendable by an additional 30d. Not 30d extendable by another 30d. That's per entry.

When you get a double-entry tourist visa, you may well only get a 90d validity window (dating from the issue date of the visa). If you get such a visa and such a 90d validity in a neighboring SE Asian country, and are able to therefore execute the first entry on the first day of the validity window, and then get the 30d extension, and then exit and return on the last day of the validity window, and finally get the 30d extension on the 2nd entry, then you can be in Thailand legally for a total of 180d (not 120d).

I'm not entirely clear on exactly where you can get triple-entry visas anymore (I believe UJ has mentioned Bali), but if your object is to remain in Thailand as long as possible on that single tourist visa, and the validity window is only going to be 90d, then I don't really see how useful the triple will actually be.

Correct, btw I got a triple entry visa at Manila 3 months ago (i am a uk citizen)

Interesting...

Any special requirements other than photos, cash, passport, etc.?? How many days did it take?

I lived there 18 years, but had left. Now between decisions and am in Thailand with a double entry. I would like to spend half a year in the PHilipppines and half here in Thailand. Will arrive in Manila during September/October. I had a resident "I" card that expired, but will now renew. Intend on Thailand just being a getaway ....enjoying neighboring countries as well.

Went to Embassy on a Monday morning, it was ready on Wednesday afternoon, in and out within 5 minutes. in addition to the normal requirements I alsoI wrote a letter explaining why I wanted a triple entry visa (just a basic itinerary and a few hotel booking confirmations for my initial 1st few weeks in Thailand), also showed copy of bank statement (online version) showing I had sufficient money, did not need to show any flight details (I had explained in the letter I would be exiting Thailand by land to Cambodia or Malaysia) very very easy.

So typical of the crap through which the rest of us are having to wade. A tourist visa is good for 60d, extendable by an additional 30d. Not 30d extendable by another 30d. That's per entry.

When you get a double-entry tourist visa, you may well only get a 90d validity window (dating from the issue date of the visa). If you get such a visa and such a 90d validity in a neighboring SE Asian country, and are able to therefore execute the first entry on the first day of the validity window, and then get the 30d extension, and then exit and return on the last day of the validity window, and finally get the 30d extension on the 2nd entry, then you can be in Thailand legally for a total of 180d (not 120d).

I'm not entirely clear on exactly where you can get triple-entry visas anymore (I believe UJ has mentioned Bali), but if your object is to remain in Thailand as long as possible on that single tourist visa, and the validity window is only going to be 90d, then I don't really see how useful the triple will actually be.

Correct, btw I got a triple entry visa at Manila 3 months ago (i am a uk citizen)

I did a border run today to Malaysia, out of the 10 people on the van I think I was the only with with triple entry visa, most of them had done multiple back to back 30day visa on arrivals by land, it was business as norma.

(I could count on one hand the number of accidents I have seen, none fatal .....)

Are you serious?

I have only been back on Samui 2 months and have witnessed 3 accidents (worst one was where the moto rider (thai) lost control at slow speed and the baby they were holding went flying, also seen the aftermath where rescue services were still on the scene of at least another 4 accidents, all between Chaweng and Lamai on the ring road.

I tried every bank (various branches) on Samui and got told I needed a work permit at all of them (new regulations), tried a different Krungthai Bank today and and they opened one for me, only took an hour and 4 bank employees all helping and they still got the account name wrong (no surname) TiT

The Fire on Beach Road

It will be more than 100% tax and it is based on the value of the car in Thailand, not what it's worth in Germany. I have been trying to figure out a cheap way of getting an old Mini cooper imported. This is a good website: http://www.thaicongenvancouver.org/cms/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=140#Permanent

I know of an old Merc on Samui that might be for sale, I will check with the owner over the weekend.

If you have someone who reads Thai, check out http://www.olx.co.th/ for used cars for sale

I have been turned down at every bank, tried various branches on Samui, keep getting told new regulations were introduced in recently that you must have a WP, ED Visa or own property to be able to open an account.

I find it depends where you live, I tried all the networks and found AIS to be best where I live on Chaweng Hill, on a good day i get almost 5Mpbs DL using my phone