Spock

I took a rescue dog to the SF Bay Area from the Soi Dog Foundation. It was hassle free

and the dog's new mom met me at SFO with a nice bottle of wine.

Tell us about the experience from beginning to end.

The old cliche saying holds true....Don't spend more (invest) in Thailand than you can afford to safely walk away from. The clothes on your back, credit card and passport is all you need to walk or in my case drive away. If you don't abide by this simple rule then Sum num na when it falls apart.

What is the meaning of 'sum num na' and what do the individual words mean? Or give it to me in Thai and I'll get a translation. Please?

A friend of mine came in on an ED visa about 8 months ago. Her first 3 month extension went fine. The last time she went to extend, they only gave her a month. Her school has told her that is all she can expect next time as well. They claim that immigration is clamping down at the moment but will ease up in November. She checked at a nearby school and was told that they are also experiencing the same issues. Has anyone else had recent extension problems?

There have been a couple of reports about this here.

You can do a search on this forum.

If I was your friend I would not rely on what's the school says. School are in desperate situation: Most schools are now on one month and at this regime many will simply don't resist and close down as students will not renew their enrollment. So it's in their best interest to reassure students.

If they do ease up in November, it will certainly be because enough schools will have shut down and the number of ED visas will be down to their desired target.

By then how many schools will be left?

As for August 2015, only 2 schools in BKK were allowed 3 months.

Can you name the 2 schools or PM them to me? I want to learn to read and write Thai so I can improve my speaking and vocabulary. I am none too happy with people using the ED visa just to remain in the country or work because they just ruin the opportunities for serious learners.

I am quite happy for the baht to fall given that I am converting Australian dollars into baht. The only thing saving the $A from looking totally 3rd world is the falling Thai baht.

This is not a proper arrest. If it were, the food and drink bill would be on the table and the father and son would be pointing at it. These men should be released.

...better late than never ...better rate than ever....

From England, yes, from Australia no.

I transfer money from my bank account in Switzerland to my Thai bank account at Kasikorn. Unfortunately my Swiss bank tells me they transfer the money first to Bangkok Bank, their corresponding bank here in Thailand. BangkokBank then calls me and ask me to sign a document at my KBank branch. After this my KBank account is credited with one hour.

But the whole transfer from Switzerland to KBank takes 2 days at best.

Simple solution. Switch to Bangkok Bank.

I regularly transfer money to Thailand from Australia, from my National Bank (NAB) account to the recipients Bangkok Bank account. Provided the transfer leaves here before the 2pm cut off time it always arrives on the same day. My last transfer was in July. If there is any change, I will let you know. Sounds like Siam Commercial are a bank to be avoided in terms of international transfers.

I would guess that you will have to go back to your home country to get another multiple entry visa. The nearest place at one time was Australia but not sure about that now.

You can get another 90 day entry on or before enter before date of your visa. So if that is in July you would be good until October before you will need a new visa.

Edit: It is illegal to apply for a visa while still here in the country. You cannot mail your passport out to get a visa.

No problem for a multiple entry visa in Australia

If you cant do the time dont do the crime.

Anybody dealing drugs is dealing DEATH. scum of the earth.

Have you ever had ecstasy? It is actually quite fun. Statistics suggest it is actually very safe unless you live in a country like Australia where the right ingredients are not used. Selling ecstasy is hardly in the same category as dealing ice or heroin. I do agree with the 'if you cant't do the crime do the time' bit but not the scum reference.

Air Asia flight disembarked from both ends. There were 2 lines for the visa and everyone lined up in the one queue. Those of us at the end were waived up the front into the 2nd queue.If you see what looks like a very short 2nd queue go for it. The process was fairly quick and easy. You need one passport photo. Don't bother with the extra money for an evisa. I arrived here from Bangkok last Friday.

It is you choice how you do it.

I just checked airasia.com for a one way flights to Kuala Lumpur for July and August and found them for 1290 baht. That would be cheaper than getting a tourist visa that you don't need.

A double entry visa in Australia would cost $90 or about 2000+ baht. Your suggestion is a good one. Thanks for taking the time to check out the price. Much appreciated. I have been googling the topic on the net without success hence my inquiry here. This forum so often contains a wealth of information. I would however still need to get an extension which costs 1900 baht, so a double entry would still be cheaper than the unused AirAsia flight.

If I may correct myself, my above post did not take account of the fact that I will need an extension even if I get a double entry visa before I leave. I may be better to get a tourist visa in Phnom Penh or buy the Air Asia ticket plus extension. I will have to do some calculations! A falling and uncertain Oz dollar complicates matters further.

It is you choice how you do it.

I just checked airasia.com for a one way flights to Kuala Lumpur for July and August and found them for 1290 baht. That would be cheaper than getting a tourist visa that you don't need.

A double entry visa in Australia would cost $90 or about 2000+ baht. Your suggestion is a good one. Thanks for taking the time to check out the price. Much appreciated. I have been googling the topic on the net without success hence my inquiry here. This forum so often contains a wealth of information. I would however still need to get an extension which costs 1900 baht, so a double entry would still be cheaper than the unused AirAsia flight.

You will not have a problem entering the country after your trip to Cambodia. Immigration will not ask to see a ticket out. The problem you may have is boarding your flight without a ticket out of the country within 30 days. You could look for a one way ticket to a nearby on a low cost airline to show.

You could also get a 2 entry tourist visa before leaving home.

The double entry visa is what I have been considering. I have no history of repeated tourist visa entries, but the fear of not been able to board the flight might be sufficient to prompt me to get the double entry before leaving. I had thought of getting a tourist visa in Phnom Penh, but not sure I want to stay that long in the city. The visa is more expensive than in Australia and the process seems messy. Siem Reap is my major destination though I am likely to visit the capital, if only to fly out of there. I am also considering Laos after Cambodia so could get a flight to Vientianne from Bangkok or Chiang Mai, but prices seem expensive.

I arrive in Bangkok on June 7 on a return ticket with Thai Airways. On June 12 I fly out to Siem Reap. At some stage I will fly back to Bangkok where I will remain for less than 60 days. My return ticket to Australia is booked for August 29. I therefore have an onward ticket when I fly back into Thailand, though the flight date will be greater than 30 days away and less than 60 days away from my arrival by air from Cambodia. I would get a 30 day stay which I will then extend for 30 days. Will this be OK or will I need a 60 day tourist visa given that my onward ticket will be outside the 30 day stamp I would bet on arrival?

So his reasoning is, if he is death automatically people would pity him and buy the key ring as opposed to not being death? So being death is such a disabling handicap you cannot find a job of some sorts?

Can you be 'death'...?

If he's 'death', it's rather hard to negotiate a price...

OOps, sorry for my splelling.....

I could excuse it once but not three times in the one short post. I could only hopefully conclude you were deliberately playing for laughs.

Even the picture in the pawn shop of the cop shows a smiling woman in yellow next to him. If she is the girlfriend,why is she smiling and seemingly happy? If not the girlfriend, where is she if the cops are in the pawn store? Or is that her leaning on the counter in the above photo? And if so, why isn't she protesting at the pawning of her phone? Dreadful reporting.

In Cambodia Forum, a poster did lose his passport in no man's land. He went to Cambodia immigration and shortly after his passport was 'found' after payment of a finder's fee. More money was then paid out when Cambodian immigration suddenly discovered some irregularities with the passport stamps.

You can buy Bellamys from Australia online. I bought shares in them when I read that they are aimed at the Chinese market in particular and have tripled my buy price in 7 months, so they must be doing well! http://bellamysorganic.com.au/shop/?gclid=CLaLytCSlsUCFY2XvQodPokAgw

It occurred to me every time I ate any Thai concoction so I eat primarily canned goods from the US or cook my own pasta/soup etc.

Seriously? You sure do deny yourself a lot of culinary pleasures. Only had a bad reaction once in many years and that was from eating a meal at a tourist restaurant near the Malaysia hotel.

Do you get the Australian public station ABC? ABC1 ABC2? SBS? I sure as hell don't care about the Aussie commercial stations.

I found the hardest part of the experience was getting there. I had to get a stamp in my emergency passport replacing one that was stolen. Sat around for an hour or so but was perfectly happy with the whole procedure given the large numbers that attend. Saw no sign that people were being made to wait longer than needed.

They have been sold to the Chinese. Almost certainly.

"In Taiwan, a bowl of tiger penis soup (to boost virility) goes for $320, and a pair of eyes (to fight epilepsy and malaria) for $170. Powdered tiger humerus bone (for treating ulcers rheumatism and typhoid) brings up to $1,450 lb. in Seoul."

http://www.singlevisioninc.org/tiger_body_parts_sold.html

A country's treatment of its wild and domestic animals and its attitude toward conserving its wild life, indicates the level of civilization that nation has achieved. The Chinese rank very low in terms of their humanity to animals and probably towards each other.

Crowds can sit and play tiddly-winks while watching old women parade before them. Sounds like great fun. This military junta really seem to have a handle on what enjoyment is all about. Can't wait to get down to Sanam Luang for the songkran festivities. What a hoot it will be!!