bilbo52

Hope fellow board members can assist here.

My friend's thai wife is soon to be joing him in Belgium for an extended stay (likely to be a few years). She wants an international driving license, so she will be able to drive in Belgium.

Therefore my question is:

What documentation does she need in order to apply for an IDL in Thailand. She lives in Hua Hin, so I guess she will either go to the Cha am or Pranburi Transportation Office. I believe that she has held her Thai license for a number of years.

I would like to know where she has to go, what she needs to present at the office and how much it will cost her. In due course I am sure she will take a Belgium driving test to get her Belgium driving license.

In anticipation thanks for your replies.

I will speak to this guy again as I am likely to bump into him again to ascertain the facts, but as I recall he said that he had got through the green channel and was landside (but still in the airport building) when he bought the tabacco. I wonder if this was in fact the case because he told me that he bought five multi-packs of hand rolling tabbac and I am not sure you can buy those outside duty-free. Not sure, but an interesting tale and he was needless to say not very happy to have this happen to him so soon after landing. Will report back when I see him next.

Has anyone heard of this before.... I was in a bar last night talking to an English guy who had flown in a couple of days ago to Suvarnabhumi. He said that he had got through immigration and baggage reclaim and then through the green channel and before leaving the airport he bought 5 multi-packs of tabacco and one carton of cigarettes from a store. As he was about to leave the airport building he was apprehended and to cut a long story short was fined to the tune of 15,000 bt. He said it was uniformed police who detained him and the starting price was a 25,000bt fine which he managed to negotiate down a little. By the way they confiscated all the hand rolling tabacco, but let him keep the carton of cigarettes.

What are people's views on this? Did this chap do something wrong?. (He didn't bring the tabacco into the country and made no attempt to conceal his purcahse). Or did he have his leg pulled so to speak?

Gentlemen,

Thank you for your considered replies. I feel a lot more comfortable now and look forward to another year in LOS following my trip out next month.

Thanks again.

Good afternoon folks,

I have had a trawl through the myriad of posts relating to this subject and think I understand what I need to do, but just want to check and have some re-assurance so that I do not balls things up.

I am a 54 yr old english guy with a Non-immigrant O-A multi-entry visa in my passport. The visa was issued on 21 Aug 2014 and I entered Thailand on 13 Nov 2014.

It is my understanding that I will need to leave and re-enter Thailand before 20 Aug 2015 in order to gain another year of entitlement to stay. I plan to go out of Thailand next month for approx 3 days to KL and return on about 15 Aug 2015, thereby gaining another year. (I will be sure to check that when I come back into the country the passport control/Immigration at Don Muang have given me a stamp for 1 year).

Upon my return to Thailand I will go to my local immigration office in Hua Hin and pay for a re-entry permit (multiple entry) to cover me for any subsequent trips I make out of the country during the period Aug 2015 to Aug 2016.

My question is: Is there anything I have missed or overlooked? Any tips on doing this end of first year exercise better than my proposed approach.

In anticipation, many thanks. This is always a stressful time and I do not want to take one step forward and through my stupidity find I have taken 3 steps back. So a personalised reply is what I am after rather than rely on responses given to others. Thanks again.

Gents (and maybe ladies), I wasn't expecting too much back, but very impressed with the output. Thanks I will use your comments to continue my research and will purchase something soon. I feel like a real dinosaur with what I use at the moment.

I have never had a smart phone before and feel now is the right time (have had previously Nokia non-smart phones, ie pretty much just text and call). Want to spend about 10,000 baht, any advice on good options. I have seen folk with I-mobile phones and Samsung and these seem to be in my price range. I am looking of course for as much bang for my buck as possible. I want a phone that has a fairly big screen but one that will fit in a trouser pocket. I want to be able to get on the internet and check email and a goodish camera and good battery life. I would be grateful for a few pointers and a good outlet to buy a phone with proper warranty in Hua Hin where I live. In anticipation thanks very much.

BMs Thanks in anticipation of related feedback.

I am assisting a mate, who has returned to the UK, with his Thai GF's visitor visa application to the UK.

She has an appointment in approx 2 weeks at the Trendy building for the biometric stuff and handing in the supporting docs. Do they do anything else at these appointments?

My principle question is does she pick up her passport and the supporting docs once the visa decision has been arrived at, say three weeks hence after appointment or do these get sent to her in the post?

Also any tips on what she can expect at the Trendy building when she arrives?

A further thought, What can she expect if she is called back for an interview?

Many thanks

Apologies for slightly hijacking this topic, but thanks for the links. As a result I am now watching tri series in Oz though rain has delayed start.

My question: Is there a link someone can provide that will take me to English football championship games. My team is Ipswich Town and I am keen to catch any games I can as the Blues march towards Premiership promotion.

Thanks in anticipation

New to the area (Hua Hin), would appreciate advice on local garage for service of Honda Click and also fix flat rear tyre which I have suffered today. Does not need to be Honda dealership. Looking for good workmanship and fair price, don't want to be lead up the garden path so to speak. Location of garage and likely cost for 3000km service and fix flat tyre (new inner tube?). In anticipation, many thanks.

Gents, and in particular Suradit69, Thank you for the info, very useful. I am flying to Thailand in mid Nov 2014 to start my "retirement"

I have recently received an non-immigrant O-A long stay visa from the Thai embassy in London. The date of issue was 21 Aug 2014 and the visa states "enter before 20 Aug 2015". I am currently resident in the UK and plan within the next month or two to fly to Thailand for an extended stay of between 1 and 2 years.

I remember reading somewhere, maybe on this forum, that I need to make my first entry into Thailand on this visa within 3 months of issue date, therefore by 20th Nov 2014.

Is this the case or can I enter at anytime during the first year, ie upto 20 Aug 2015 in order to receive a year stamp?

Thank you for all useful in formation received.

Thanks, I will go with the one way ticket.

Thanks for the heads up, I will take my chances and go with a one way ticket.

I hope someone can provide me with some useful info relating to boarding an Etihad Airways flight from London to Bangkok with a one way ticket and an O-A long stay visa in my passport. I plan to do this in October 2014, it will be my first time flying with a one way ticket to Thailand. Will I have any problems at the check in desk? I have no plans to return to the UK for at least a year and do not wish to purchase a return ticket if I can help it. In anticipation thanks for any useful feedback.

Guys, Thanks for the input. Having read around on the board a bit more I will do a bit more research, chose the bank and branch of my choice and if they say that they only have the high end expensive card available it will be "thank you very big" and off to another branch.

I was in Pattaya a week or so ago and went into the Kasikorn branch on Pattaya Klang and was told the same thing, ie you have to pay 2500bt for accident insurance when you open bank account. Member of staff said all banks oblige new account holders to take out this insurance. Is this the case? Do any board members know what the arrangements/rules are with other banks with respect to this insurance when opening a bank account? Is this insurance worth having and does it do what it says on the tin? Also (apologies for the questions, as I am planning to spend a year in thailand later this year and this is my first post on this forum) do folk have any recommendations on a good bank with nationwide coverage. I plan to spend most of my time in Hua Hin and Pattaya. In anticipation many thanks