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Just a thought, will the elderly couples travel insurance payout for the hospital bill (assuming they have insurance ). You know what insurance companies are like with alcohol involved or proof liability etc ?

You will be in for a monetary shock if you have to have the medical form issued privately and not from your GP. My GP also refused to sign the form on the grounds that the NHS should not be expected to conduct all the required blood work for a visa. (A fair point possibly)

My GP gave me the telephone of a private company and they quoted in excess of £500.00 pounds . I told them to forget it and went down the then multiple tourist visa route rather than the OA.

Savannah dry cider 55 baht per bottle in foodand, pattaya. Bought 7 last night.

Correct me if wrong. A case officer is not a police officer. Possibly a retired officer ?

Tough new crackdown on alcohol promotions in Thailand

• No more "beer girls"
• Health warnings on all alcohol products
• No old bottles of wines or beer can be used to decorate a business
• No happy hours promotions
• Promoting alcohol through word of mouth is also illegal
• No alcohol logos are allowed on glasses, ashtrays and other paraphernalia
• Punishments of up to six months in jail for various offences
• All promotion of alcoholic consumption is illegal

CHIANG MAI: -- The Government has warned that it intends to enforce harsh measures regulating the advertising and promotion of alcohol, in a move that will affect thousands of businesses throughout the country.

An example of an acceptable alcohol advertisement, showing a health warning at the top and a picture of people engaging in a 'socially responsible' activity - in this case, meditation. The orange box in the bottom left corner is where the alcohol brand's logo would be displayed.

Details of the law, which is vague and open to interpretation, are provided below. The following guidelines were given to CityNews along with around 30 hoteliers and members of the media who were invited to a meeting at the Tarin Hotel yesterday [Monday August 25, 2014] by the Chiang Mai Provincial Public Health Office. The aim of the meeting was to clarify the nuances of the law and give warning as to their immediate enforcement.

"I am only here to help you, the media and relevant businesses to understand the law," said Second Lieutenant Taweesak Jintajiranan. "This law was put into effect due to the rapidly growing costs of alcohol to this nation. Alcohol-related accidents have increased significantly in recent years. While the government makes 70 billion baht income per year from alcohol tax, the cost to the government is upwards of 150 billion baht."

He went on to expand on the written law as follows:

Under the newly enforced rules all alcohol products must carry health warnings, sales are banned to anyone under the age of 20, and initiatives promoting alcohol – such as happy hours, free ice and mixers, and the use of ‘beer girls’ – are banned.

No drinking is allowed after midnight in bars or restaurants, even though sales have ended; no alcohol logos are allowed on glasses, ashtrays and other paraphernalia; and bars will not be allowed to display posters or bottles – even old ones – featuring such logos.

Bar staff cannot wear T-shirts with alcohol logos, and it is illegal to promote events such as wine and beer tastings. Alcohol logos - or even images accepted as representative of brands, such as a deer head for Benmore or red stars for Heineken - are not allowed to be displayed in sponsorship or any kind of advertising or promotion.

Promoting alcohol through word of mouth is also illegal, so if a waiter is asked to recommend a particular brand of beer he would be breaking the law if he responds. All printed photographs of glasses or bottles in the media must have visible brands and logos blurred.

Officials have also vowed to strictly enforce laws on alcohol advertising. This is expected to have a big effect on media businesses like Citylife, CityNow! and Spoon & Fork, which rely heavily on advertising by hotels and entertainment venues.

The authorities are using an existing law, the Alcohol Control Act of 2008, to crack down. It was introduced with the aim of reducing consumption, but while some aspects have been in effect for years there are many minor points which, until now, have been ignored by authorities.

A 70-page Thai-language handbook - a must-read for anyone working in the alcohol industry and related fields - was distributed at the meeting.

Essentially all promotion of alcohol is now illegal. Here is a breakdown of the laws, some of which were already being enforced but from now on will be universally enforced nationwide.

For producers and importers of alcohol:

- All alcoholic drinks packaging must carry a clear and government-approved health warning (see example above), and a list of ingredients. It must be stated clearly on the packaging that this is an alcoholic beverage.

- Consumers cannot drink in the following areas: temples or religious places (unless alcohol is used in religious ceremonies), public spaces belonging to the government (except for private residences within said area), government buildings (apart from club houses, special designated areas for commerce and private residences, or during special events), within education centres (apart from residences, parties or clubs, or if the education centre is teaching how to mix alcohol), petrol or gas stations, public parks, and anywhere else the government announces at any date.

- Alcohol cannot be sold on the Makhabucha, Visakabucha, Asarahabucha and Khao Pansa religious holidays, except from in hotels in order to promote tourism and stimulate the economy.

- No sales are allowed to anyone aged under 20 years, or anyone who is obviously drunk.

- No sales of alcoholic beverages are allowed by automated machines, non-location-specific sales are banned (ie. no mobile bars or wandering around selling), and no promotions, offering rights, points, lucky draws or awards and no freebies of any kind including swaps and exchanges are allowed.

Advertising

- No images of alcoholic drinks, including photography, and logos in any language which “invite” the public to drink alcohol are allowed. Continues here:

Source and full story: City News Chiang Mai

No more Happy Hours?

I thought Happiness was one of their key objectives?

So how can we find out when its Happy Hours when the staff are not allowed to talk about it and no signs ?

Yes I have used the Glasgow Consulate very recently.

I would suggest that you phone the number given on their website as the lady who deals with Visa applications is not in everyday. When I got my Visa I was instructed to hand in the application form, photo's and twenty five pounds per visa entry before 10.30am and return the same day after 2.00pm.

The Consulate is only a small office within a large building and you hand your documents/cash to a receptionist, who then hands them over to the Consulate staff.

Thanks for the prompt replies.

I'm after the multiple entry O-A visa due to being 52 years old.

As far as the medical check goes, there's a standard form which can be printed off from the Thai Consulate website. I'm sure my GP will be more than happy to complete this (for a fee no doubt!)

So how does one obtain the police clearance? Do you just waltz in to your local nick and ask? Why does the Thai Consulate specify Scotland Yard? Do the police charge for this document?

Thanks.

I hope that you have better luck than I did with my local GP Surgery.

Submitted the downloaded form from the Thai Embassy on Monday of this week as part of the process to obtain a OA Visa. I got a phone call later that same day from the Surgery Manager who told me that she had shown it to some of the Doctors and under no circumstances would they sign off the form. Gave the reasons that they could not prove without blood tests that I did not have the various listed illnesses and this would not be covered on the NHS also had some concerns about the actual wording of the form.

The Surgery Manager gave the telephone number for a private clinic. I gave them a call and they quoted me in excess of Five Hundred and Fifty Pounds to do the consultation, blood work and sign off the form.

As a result the OA visa plans cancelled. I got a two entry tourist visa and will get the medical form signed off in Thailand before I return at the end of November and submit a OA visa request in January for next year.

I hope you have better luck.

Thanks for the prompt replies.

I'm after the multiple entry O-A visa due to being 52 years old.

As far as the medical check goes, there's a standard form which can be printed off from the Thai Consulate website. I'm sure my GP will be more than happy to complete this (for a fee no doubt!)

So how does one obtain the police clearance? Do you just waltz in to your local nick and ask? Why does the Thai Consulate specify Scotland Yard? Do the police charge for this document?

Thanks.

I hope that you have better luck than I did with my local GP Surgery.

Submitted the downloaded form from the Thai Embassy on Monday of this week as part of the process to obtain a OA Visa. I got a phone call later that same day from the Surgery Manager who told me that she had shown it to some of the Doctors and under no circumstances would they sign off the form. Gave the reasons that they could not prove without blood tests that I did not have the various listed illnesses and this would not be covered on the NHS also had some concerns about the actual wording of the form.

The Surgery Manager gave the telephone number for a private clinic. I gave them a call and they quoted me in excess of Five Hundred and Fifty Pounds to do the consultation, blood work and sign off the form.

As a result the OA visa plans cancelled. I got a two entry tourist visa and will get the medical form signed off in Thailand before I return at the end of November and submit a OA visa request in January for next year.

I hope you have better luck.

5555, Except for the UK Passport Holders. What's the current waiting time for a new passport for them 8++ weeks ?

UK passport took me 4 days from within UK using the post office service. O Visa for Thailand then took 1 week, (sent to hull but the had to send to London for approval, had to prove i had £18000 in a UK bank account, (yes a UK bank account)

Hello

When did you send your application to Hull?

My understanding is that no Consulate in the UK now deals with any postal visa applications. UK Consulates can only deal with Tourist Visa applications made in person and cannot deal with O visa applications. I appreciate you have said that they (Hull) forwarded it to London for approval, when I spoke with not Hull recently on the phone they told me they would not and could not deal with O visa applications as per their website.

I have today just applied in person to a Consulate in the UK and received a two entry tourist visa. For the past three years I have been operating on a O Visa, but they increased all the paperwork for this visa namely criminal record check, medical report from UK doctor and proof of funds in a Thai bank for months prior to visa application.

Did you have to supply these evidences when submitting your O visa application?

Regards.

And in advance I do not have a criminal record.