RichardThailand

For those who replied just now about fixed. How do you handle the timing? Are your fixed accounts renewed or do you have to open another at time of renewal?

Philippine Air is OK, but the Manila Airport stinks. The taxis at the airport have more scams than you can count.

What scams did you experience and which kind of taxi was that? I was a local there for many years and experienced virtually no scams that I can remember.

Philippine Air is OK, but the Manila Airport stinks. The taxis at the airport have more scams than you can count.

Well at least you get scammed in English :-)

Get the yellow taxi, make sure the meter is working and you should be 90% okay.

I speak from the experience of getting 20-30 of those yellow taxis over the last few years. Also would like to mention that 8 years of living there and taxis 2-3 times a week I do not recall one single scam. Dress like a tourist in Hawaiin T shirt and flip flops you can expect to be scammed like a tourist. Dress more like a local working expat like I do, tell the driver you have been living there for 5 years, don't engage in "where are you from conversations" any I don't think you will be scammed by the drivers.

For the wrinkle removal you might like to enquire about laser removal but unfortunately I cannot give any advice on where would be a good place to go:

www.almalasers.com

From what I understand most places have Soprano lasers and possibly not so many (if any) have the latest Soprano Ice laser. If you find a place that mentions lasers treatment then ask which lasers. If they have the Ice model then that from what I understand will do a better job. Please post your feedback on what you are able to find out.

Thanks,

Okay so if I leave the money in a savings account, ensure there is always at least 800,000 in there. Then does immigration accept my passbook as proof that there has been money in there for the required time or do I need other proof?

Manila airport is a hell hole of the first degree IMHO.

I flew Philippine air biz class few years ago...certainly not up to par with most other Asian carriers but also usually priced a lot less as well.

Few years back, Mania airport looked like a bus terminal, but they just renovated and opened it year or two back. Regarding planes, you can fly on vintage 747 or on a brand new 777. I flew few times BKK-MNL and it was not the best, nor the worst experience.

Which terminal did the renovate and open a few years back? I lived there for 8 years up until a month ago and I have taken 40-50 flights out of the four different terminals. I seem to have missed the renovation and opening.

To answer the question posed by the OP. Phillippine airlines are much the same as all the others. Some of the terminals are not so good but there again you will probably only be in one of them for a couple of hours.

My girlfriends father has a recent heart condition. His "doctor" in the Philippines has prescribed the following:

I'm currently here on visa exempt entry with an outbound ticket for early October.

I am considering going to Laos or the Philippines to apply for a tourist visa. Can anyone tell me when I apply or when I enter Thailand with the new visa will I be required to show an outbound ticket from Thailand? It's not that I am trying to avoid getting one it's just that I would prefer at this time not to change the date (again) as every time I do a date change it costs me more money.

Thanks

I recently opened a savings account at Bangkok Bank opposite Terminal 21. I asked about direct deposit and they seemed confused and just gave me the swift number so I could send money from USA > my new savings account.

I read mention of a "Direct Deposit Account".

Can someone clarify this for me. With this type of account can I just do a normal bank > bank transfer in USA and have the money available in Thailand? If so then does anyone have a suggestion how I could ask for this type of account. The lady I spoke to seemed confused and at the time I didn't have all the facts with me to explain to her.

Thanks,

I am in Bangkok and planning to go to Laos to get a tourist visa. I have a couple of questions regarding the differences between Savannakhet and

• Which place (if any) is most easy to get to without having to take a bus / minivan for more than ten minutes and what's the approximate cost train / plane
• Which place is easier to get a visa. I would like to get the visa in person and not have an agent do it for me.
• What's the travel time from BKK to each destination?

Thanks

There are certainly less vans going to the border now. Some companies have shut down.

Most people going to the border now have visas with entries remaining.

There still are still some going for their first (and only) visa exempt entry after flying in.

Can you explain what you mean by

"going for their first (and only) visa exempt entry after flying in?"

Thanks

Japan is dying Thailand is the best place for them to invest

I beg to differ. Most countries invest in Vietnam before Thailand nowadays.

Where's your source of this information?

...and presumably the same extension application used for other types of extensions??

TM.7 : http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/files/file/7-tm7-extension-of-temporary-stay-in-the-kingdom-application-form/

Yes this extension I was asked to use. If you need an example of how to fill this out in the BKK office there are desks there with pens and pasted on the dividers are sample filled out forms.

I would like to learn more about the Thai characters.

Does anyone know of any good resources. I have seen a number of web sites and android applications but all seem to have some problem or another.

Also any good books that anyone suggests. Books that are still in print :-)

Thanks

Went to Mo Chit and took at taxi to immigration. I had the address written down in Thai and the journey took about 20 minutes by taxi. The taxi driver drove like a race car driver on the highway (60 baht for the toll). As we approached the immigration he talked to us in English about his idols who seemed to all be racing car drivers!

Got to immigration with passport, copies of departure card, air ticket, 4cm by 6cm pics and our hotel booking information at 2pm. Filled out the forms and waited! Waited for almost 2 hours. Progress was very slow until 4pm approached and it seemed like the immigration people were trying to get as many people processed as possible so they could go home soon. It went from one number being called every 15 minutes to one ever 2-3 minutes.

Showed the forms and other things to the immigration. They asked us to sign the photocopies and took our money. 30 minutes later we got the change and the passports.

Left immigration and there were no taxis in site. We asked another couple and they had been waiting a very long time and were still waiting. Started to walk. I guess it's a 30 minute walk from immigration to the road. The complex there is huge. The largest government complex I have every seen. Luckily we got a taxi by chance.

That's it.

I am wondering. Does anyone else have similar experiences? What's the best time / day to visit immigration in BKK ?

How about 30 days + 30 day extension. Then two weeks outside of the country followed by another 30 days + 30 days extension?

Is that possible or should I when out of the country get a tourist visa and if so then do some local countries give me a longer tourist visa than others and how long would it last me for?

I need to extend it in the next week. Can someone tell me where I do the extension in BKK and what's the easiest way to get there?

Also what do I need to bring with me other than my passport ? If they need to see a copy of my airline ticket for example, can I just show that in my Ipad or do I need a paper copy?

Thanks,

Stoli - how many hours / days per week is your class?

What's the very latest requirements for ED Visas ?

In another thread you were asking about a retirement extension of stay. If you have an extension of stay based on retirement, you can be a student without getting an Ed Visa.

http://www.thaivisa.com/forum/topic/758304-any-suggestion-on-a-bank-where-i-can-easily-set-up-an-account-for-atm-and-for-retirement-visa-in-bkk/#entry8356232

Suradit

I am interested in extension of stay based on retirement.

The girl who has been with me for the last 8 years is interested in coming here and learning Thai. Yes the posts are different but I am the one posting and asking for the both of us.

I'm in the unfortunate position of trying to learn the ins and outs of how the both of us can stay in Thailand.

Well I have not talked to one in the last week but about 4 to 5 weeks ago I think it was. I have been in Thailand for 14 months on a student visa. I paid 30 000baht and that came with a student visa and 200 hours of study at my choice at the school.

I could use the hours when ever I wanted as in a hour a day or a few a week or what ever. They gave my 18 month to use the hours up but the visa was only good for 14 months.

I need a new one in a couple week and they said I had to pay about the same with a tiny discount and they would give me another 200 hours plus sort another visa out. I chose to not do it so I can not tell you the latest as in the last week as I am going another path for a visa.

Hope some of that might help you

School was called "language express" in bkk

Thanks but I am looking for some confirmation on the latest requirements for schools which when I last spoke to a friend had changed very much from what they were before. Looking for details on hours / week required attendance and length of tuition, how many weeks the visa will be for and such things.

I am in BKK now and I've opened up a savings bank account. Soon I will transfer 800,000 into that. Once that's in then I will open a fixed term deposit and my plan is to leave the country for a short time and return. It was suggested I should come back on a 90 day non-O visa. Can someone explain what that is? Is that the same as a tourist visa? Can I get the 90 day non-O visa from most nearby countries?

Can anyone tell me if they have been talking to schools in the last week to find out what the new prices and requirements are. In particular what's being asked for the two biggest schools now? Are the schools now quoting prices for 1 year or for 3 months training? How many hours per week and how much?

Thanks

You can transfer the funds into the savings account and move it into a fixed term account.

If you don't have non-o visa and are planning on doing a conversion to a non immigrant visa I suggest you leave it in the savings account until you do the conversion. You will need a letter from the bank confirming the funds came from abroad. After you have the 90 day entry you could then move the funds into the fixed term account. You will not nee the proof the funds came from abroad for the extension of stay application. It will just have to be in the account for 60 days.

You must have it in fixed term account that allows you to do a withdrawal at any time with no penalty other than loss of interest.

When using a fixed term you need to be careful the term does not end during the 3 months prior to when your next extension will be due. If the funds are moved into another account you would loose the 3 months.

Ubonjoe.

Can you clarify a bit more about the 90 day entry. I am currently on visa exempt and will be here for another 5-6 weeks ( after a 30 day extension next week).

I was then thinking to go out of the country to Cambodia or Laos for a week and then return. But what visa would give me a 90 day entry?

Thanks

I was today able to open a Savings Account that gives me an ATM card at Bangkok Bank in Exchange building across from Terminal 21.

I would like to open an account that could be used to deposit 800,000 for retirement visa purposes. The lady suggested:

• Fixed account with minimum opening value of 2,000 baht and 3, 6 or 12 month fixed
• Fixed account with minimum opening of 100,000 and 11 month fixed.

I am a bit confused. As the 11 month account requires 100,000 to open. It seems I cannot open the account first and then send the 800,000 baht.

How does one go about moving the needed money from USA? Must the money be seen as a transaction coming from USA or could I first move the 800,000 into my savings account and then when it's there use that to open a fixed account?

Also are there any requirements on what type of account the money is deposited into? I heard that it must be an account that I can withdraw money from at any time. Do the Bangkok Bank "fixed" accounts allow this? I was told it was okay I could take the money out at any time but I would then get no interest.

Hopefully someone can clarify all of this for me.

Thanks