sghanchey

25 minutes ago, peteralex said:

 

Hi, check out this one, the health insurance premium seems to be VERY reasonable especially for your age, plus a low premium for covid coverage in TH . I found this one advertised at TVF. It appears to be too competitive to be true. Let us know about your inquiries.

https://en.samui.consulting/insurance?utm_source=Santa&fbclid=IwAR0JWpK7YdSLL8Snf1aFSMJPlVLhjyqH9v8i6Ve4GYvRWQ4G4oZ9lPlcxi8 

Thanks very much for this referrral. It does appear to be too good to be true, but one never knows. 

Are there currently any surface travel restrictions for highway travel between Pattaya and Bangkok in either direction? I'm planning a trip tomorrow (Feb. 10) and am not aware of any official approvals needed, such as were the case a week or two ago. 

8 hours ago, DerbyDan said:

you have to id at some stores now? that's pretty crazy. what's that checking for?

It's the contact tracing scheme. Either scan a QR code or write name and phone number in a notebook so they can contact you if someone tests positive who visited or works at the store/shop/venue. 

6 hours ago, ubonjoe said:

That form is from the immigration website. It is accepted at the majority of immigration offices.

Not sure Chonburi has their own form.

Thanks. I'll send any update on this after visiting Immigration next week. 

Life is fairly normal for older residents who do not "party". More and more bars and small restaurants are closing and have "For Rent" or "For Sale" signs on the shuttered premises. Food vendors along Jomtien Beach Road seem to be operating normally, and branded coffee shops (Amazon ex.) are open. It's not the bustling bar and party scene that it used to be, but those of us here for the long-term like the lack of Chinese tour buses or Russian tour groups. The air quality of late is bad due to prevailing winds from the N. that bring Bangkok pollution and smoke from burning fields, so there's that. My condo pool is open, and walks along Jomtien Dongtan Beach keep me happy. But If I were not already here, I wouldn't bother. There are better places than here. 

On 2/3/2021 at 7:29 PM, ubonjoe said:

1. There is no fixed time you can do it. My suggestion is do it a soon as possible so you don't need to have both passport do something. You could wait until your return for your extension.

2. Wrong advice. You have to do it where you applied for your extension.

3. The  letter from the embassy that they should've given to you.

This form Transfer Stamps To A New Passport

Copies of both passport photo pages. Copies of every page in your old passport that has a visa or stamp for Thailand on it.

 

Is there a "Transfer Stamps to a New Passport" form for Chonburi (Pattaya) Immigration? 

On 2/2/2021 at 10:54 PM, songmaew said:

I, too, must renew soon.  Upon reading the embassy page I was left with the clear understanding renewals are by mail only( unless an emergency need for sooner than 2-3 week processing time).

My hope is that thry return your old passport with the new one.  I seem to recall not always done.

You are right. I was reminded of that in the message I received from AmCit Services telling me they are EMS-ing me my replacement passport tomorrow. They specifically said they are taking no in-person appointments for passport renewals or first-time applicants unless they are special circumstances (i.e. requirement to submit a letter or an affidavit in person, which was my case). They will also not give in-person appointments to pick up a passport unless it's an emergency. 

I am expecting delivery of a new, replacement passport tomorrow. I sent it to the U.S. embassy exactly 8 days ago, so it was a very quick turnaround. I will go to Chonburi Immigration next week to get the current Non-O-A visa transferred ahead of my upcoming renewal later this month. Wish me luck! 

23 hours ago, NCC1701A said:

where?

U.S. Consulate in Bangkok- American Citizen Services. My case was unusual, as I was required to submit a letter with the application, but it was easy to get an appointment. They only provide services Tuesday-Thursday from 0730 to 1130 (I think). 

2 hours ago, nahkit said:

If you check my post you'll see that it was edited and the reason I edited it was to remove the name of the immigration office. I'm going to be there again in a few days time and although it's highly unlikely that immigration would read this thread, I'd rather not take the chance of annoying them.

Got it. Smart move. 

On 1/28/2021 at 11:37 AM, NCC1701A said:

no it is not.

I renewed a passport in person in late December 2020. They kept the old one, and both the old one (cancelled) and new one were returned to me by Thailand Post EMS service two weeks later. 

41 minutes ago, nahkit said:

Took my new passport to immigration last Tuesday along with the old one and a letter from my embassy. Took about 15 minutes for them to do it (including my 90-day report) and they charged me 200 baht.

At which Immigration office, please?

I wondered what was going on. I walked past Jomtien (Chonburi) Immigration today at 10:45, and it was a madhouse. Probably 100+ people in the queue- maybe more- outside. See photo attached. As I will go for an annual extension in 2-3 weeks, I was worried. 

7 hours ago, tonray said:

They made them sign a form...

And had them sign every page in the bottom right hand corner. 

I'd like to know if anyone has had experience with Premier Health insurance plans. I am in the high-risk age group (73), and have only had success getting major medical insurance (with a very high $7500 deductible and no coverage in the U.S.) from Cigna Global (at more than $6000/year). I have a quote from Premier Health for about the same price, but with a lower deductible, and it claims to cover me in the U.S. as well (with a $3000 deductible). As I am obviously covered by Medicare in the U.S., the U.S. coverage is not critical for me. Any comments very welcome. 

I am seeking a referral to a local attorney in Bangkok to draft a Living Will that will permit my Thai partner to dispose of my remains should I die unexpectedly in Thailand, i.e. cremation, without having to require someone in my family in the U.S. to come to Thailand and deal with this. A simple, low-cost solution, I hope. Thanks for any suggestions for affordable local lawyers. 

I believe that all new U.S. passports have 52 pages, no longer short, 28 pagers. You can actually get a second passport, but you need a letter from your employer stating why a 2nd one is required, and issuance is not guaranteed. 

All new U.S. passports have 52 pages. The old one you can keep after they punch two holes in it, meaning it is no longer valid. Any visas in the old one are still valid when presented with the new one. Appointment required for passport renewals.

I've never had any problem using my Samsung Galaxy S-5 that I bought here with my T-Mobile SIM card in the U.S. I have a pre-paid plan with T-Mobile that allows me to pay a minimum monthly fee ($1.50, I think) to keep the number active, and then pay for actual use while I am in the U.S. I top up the account with $25 before I go, and rarely use that much in a 2-3 week trip. The S-5 works with Wifi there and here, and Wifi is increasingly available in public places in the U.S., so I don't use too much data. I've found T-Mobile coverage everywhere I've gone in the U.S. In Thailand, I have both AIS and True, and use a Samsung A-7 here for the dual SIM capability. 

Be advised that there are bogus websites that charge significantly more than the official Cambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs website. I've done it many times, but never for a land crossing- only at Phnom Penh and Siem Reap airports. The official website is https://www.evisa.gov.kh/

I wonder if she applied for the proper business visitor visa, since she's obviously going there to work and get paid for it. A group of Korean fashion models were turned away recently trying to enter on tourist visas (which they had) when in fact they were going for photo shoots using U.S. tourist landmarks. 

If you do decide to check out Cambodia, do visit Battambang. It has a lively arts scene and prices (and security) are better than Sihanoukville. Kampot might be an up-and-coming place, but it's still a sleepy backwater most of the time and is prone to serious flooding. The only desirable accommodations there are expensive, unlike Battambang. I agree with those who have posted that Cambodia is *not* cheap anymore. The flood of NGOs and government aid agencies have driven rents through the roof in Phnom Penh, and utilities everywhere are more expensive than here. I still don't see why you can't switch to a different kind of visa in Thailand, since so many people manage to do it. In any case, good luck with your choices and decision.