Adagio

A ban on international travel is a perfectly reasonable response of any country to a highly virulent disease epidemic. Any nations that do evacuate their citizens from infected countries would also be wise to quarenteen them. These kinds of restrictions slow the spread of pandemics and give time for vaccinations to be developed, ultimately possibly saving millions, perhaps hundreds of millions of lives worldwwide. The 1918 flu pandemic spread around the world more quickly that might have been usual at that time (of relatively limited international travel) due to the many british commonwealth soldiers returning home after WW1. Travel and quarenteen restrictions saved many lives during the recent Sars mini pandemic which it turns out, tragic as the loss of life was, was an important wake up call.

You need two passports, and your idea might just work!

See these links:

Passport by mail

Non immigrant O visa

Regards,

Mike

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As I don't have dual nationallity this is not an option for me. Applying for a second passport would be a much more serious offence than the scheme I am suggesting and I expect I would be much more likely to get caught out. I will not be trying this.

As far as I know I am not entitled to apply for an O visa, I am a 38 yr old unmarried UK citizen without the 800k baht to put into a bank account.

Can somone confirm whether or not a multi entry 6 month tourist visa is available in Panang (or anywhere elae in the region)?

I'm with Thaiflyer1 on this.

If you just want a double tourist buzz down to Penang, they are readily available there.

Penang have recently tightened up on non-b visas and you are unlikely to get any multi-entry non immigrant  (except non-o) visa in SE Asia, but for a tourist, no problem.

As to trusting your PP to the international postage system .... risky.

Edit:- I've not come across a 6-month multi-entry visa, surely it's a double entry tourist or a non-o or b multi (which are valid for 12 months)? Interested to know what it actually says on the visa.

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I just got a 4 entry 6 month tourtis visa from the Liverpool consulate. If that is readilly available in Penang then there is no point going to he lengths I have described above. Is it?

I am of course hoping somone else will have tried it by then as, as you mention, I have a visa that will allow me to stay without a problem for the next 6 months at least. I may even need to return to the UK to remortgage my flat later next year so I will be able to get a new visa at that time without any 'dodgey' dealing.

If anyone knows of a country in the region that does not stamp passports on exit (I had assumed they all would) that would be very useful information for anyone wanting to attempt this.

Incidentally it was the Liverpool consulate I got my visa from, though there are half a dozen in the UK to choose from in addition to the embassy.

Some of the information here is slightly out of date but the adddresses are as far as I can see still valid

www.bangkokbob.net/visa.htm

Will thai authorities be looking whether the dates on exit stamps from another country match with the date you got a visa in the uk

Guess 1 way to make this cheaper is to go to the closest european country to thailand-then you would not get a stamp when returning to the ukbut it would make the process of getting a visa cheaper ?

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For EU nationals there is no entry stamp when returning to the UK or anywhere in the EU. That is my point, there is nothing to tell the consulate that I have returned to the UK. I am assuming their only concern will be that I have an exit stamp from Thailand. Would they be looking for an entry stamp to an adjacent contry that did not have a corresponding exit stamp (so suggesting I was still in that country) or would they not consider the immigration regulations of another country any of their concern?

Perhaps you mean the border officials? Would they be looking at every stamp in my passport? Perhaps I should have gone for the 56 page document after all Would a visa issued by a UK consulate whilst I was in another country be invalid? As I stated above I was never asked if I was in the UK when my current visa was issued.

You can apply via post/courier within the UK if you are in the UK, so you are ok. It's the second of your scenarios that is illegal.

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There are a lot of things in life that are not quite 100% legal and I'm sure I'm not the only person participating in this forum that is willing to bend the law a little . My concern is whether the UK consulate would be looking for just an exit stamp from Thailand or would they be wise to my potential 'scam' and be looking for an entry stamp to an adjacent country without an exit stamp? So suggesting that I am not actually back in the UK.

Would this in fact be illegal? When I recently sent in my (brand new, no stamps) passport to get my current visa I was at no time asked if I was actually in the UK. The passport was posted from the UK but then the scheme above would also involve the passport being posted from the UK.

- Visa that have not been obtained by the traveller personally are considered incomplete documents. The passport holder will not be allowed to stay in Thailand according to the visa but only according to the rights of the nationality of the passport holder.

Source: http://www.aranimmigration.com/eng/main.htm

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So are you saying my current visa, obtained by post from the UK consulate is invalid?

I think possibly you misunderstand.

I plan to leave Thailand. I will therefor have an exit stamp. (I will also have an entry stamp for whichever adjacent country I choose to stay in for the week or so this might take, would the UK consulate be looking for that? It was the only area I thought this plan migh fall down.) My passport will be posted (by my parents) to the UK consulate just as I have done to get my current visa. If the consulate don't spot the fact that there is an entry stamp for an adjacent country but no exit stamp there is nothing to tell them I am not back in the UK myself.

I am about to leave the UK for a 6 month to a year visit to the Kingdom. I sent my passport off last wednesday and it was back with my 6 month multi entry visa on the Saturday!

From what I have read here it appears it will be difficult to get a new 6 month visa from any of the adjoining countries usually used for visa runs. What is to stop me taking a trip out of Thailand (to get my exit stamp) sending my passport to my mother in the UK (with say DHL or another fast courrier) getting her to send it to the consulate from the UK and then couriering it back to me in say Cambodia or Malaysia. I realise I will be withough my passport for a few days which is probably illegal and the fast turnaround cannot be guarenteed (though surely this is their bussiest time?) but other than that is this viable?

Girlx, I have been investigating koh phangan and I think if I can avoid the full moon crowd (been there, done that ) I think it really will be that happy medium I'm looking for. I've found a good site http://phanganisland.com with tonnes of great long term accommodation in my price range but very few properties allready have internet set up and (I'm waiting for confirmation on this) it looks like I'll have difficulty getting anything faster than a dial up connection according to the guy on their site who does computer rental. How easy/quick is it to get ADSL on the island? Would I have to get it connected myself or are there places available with it allready set up? WLAN access would be fine so long as it is fast enough.

Thanks

Robert

Thanks folks, this is all very helpful and informative, I think I'll be fine.

I have been told there is currently a clapmdown by the 'authorities' (which ones?) on internet porn. Does anyone have any information on this? I do support work for a UK based 'adult' profile website, I am coming to thailand for 6 months+ and was planning to get a room/apartment with internet and continue my job from there. Am I going to get thrown in jail?

i also work on the internet from home, which is koh phangan. you can find a good house with all amenities for 4000-15000b, and if you find one in the right place it is easy to get a phone line and ADSL set up. koh phangan is also lovely and not too developed.

by the way, with porn being illegal in thailand and in fact there being a crackdown on it right now, how do you think you can get away with doing that? i thought about being a porn webmaster myself (lots of jobs) but figure it's too risky from here.

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Thanks for the info. I'm only doing user support for the site, answering emails, checking profiles etc but I will make some enquiries about what you have said, thank you. What would my own internet line cost on koh phangan? How fast would it be? Would I be able to sign up for just six months? How long would it take to set up?

Internet on Koh Chang? On the beach? Sure:

Thanks but where is that? Is it an internet cafe or a resort with internet in the room? Is the internat genuinely fast or will I be waiting ten minutes for one piccture to download?

I know this is no help now but the earlier you can book your ticket the better. Prices do go through the roof over the christmas period and even if you can afford the high prices you can often have trouble getting availability, especially on the return leg. Be as flexible as possible, consider flying into a different airport, even in a different country as you can usually book a local flight very cheaply with Air Asia or Bangkok Air.

I'm glad someone has something good to say about the island! I think some of the people complaining earlier would have been happier in Pataya or Phuket, or perhaps Benidorm or Torremolinos

I am a little worried about the fact that there is drug resistant malaria on the island, anyone have any info on this?

I'm looking to stay in Thailand for at least 6 months starting 20th November. My current plans are to start in Phuket as I will need a high speed internet connection to continue doing by job from the country, but Phuket is more developed than I really wanted long term. How is the internet on Koh Chang? The confidential nature of my work requires an in room/bungalow/apartment internet connection, or at the very least internet on site where I would be able to plug in my wireless hub (I will have my laptop with me, I'm not expecting a computer to be provided). Does anyone know of moderately priced (under 15,000baht/month) acommodation somewhere fairly quiet and pretty with a nice beach (I'll be having friends come to visit). Preferably with a web site I can check out.

Please excuse my repeating this post, for some reason I am unable to edit the previous one

I will be Thailand for at least 6 months from 20th November. Possibly considerably longer.

I would consider 256k the absolute minimum speed I could work at. GPRS would therefor not be suitable. You mention internet shops, the nature of my work requires confidentiality so an internet cafe would not be appropriate. I am looking more for internet in a hotel room/bungalow or appartment.

What I'm really looking for is more general advice, what sort of speeds am I likely to get on various regions/islands around the country. though if anyone knows of a nice quiet complex somwhere on a sandy beach with fast internet on site for under 15,000 baht/month please let me know I have only been able to find this on Phuket so far and even then only two options, both in built up areas.

I was not considering BKK. A big reason for staying in Thailand is to save money and avoid big city life (I currently live in London). I also want to do lots of diving and am planning to recieve visits from friends who will be expecting more of a beach/island location.

So Trat just has three flights a day to/from BKK and nothing else? I would not have thought that would be economically viable.

Sorry of course I know what GPRS is, I was not thinking. This will offer insufficient speeds for the sort of work I need to do which involves a lot of web surfing. I would need a minimum of a 256k connnection and would prefer at least double that.

I will be Thailand for at least 6 months from 20th November. Possibly considerably longer.

I would consider 256k the absolute minimum speed I could work at. GPRS would therefor not be suitable. You mention internet shops, the nature of my work requires confidentiality so an internet cafe would not be suitable. I am looking more for internet in a hotel room/bungalow or appartment.

What I'm really looking for is more general advice, what sort of speeds am I likely to get on various regions/islands around the country.

I was not considering BKK. A big reason for staying in Thailand is to save money and avoid big city life (I currently live in London). I also want to do lots of diving and am expecting to recieve visits from friends who will be expectingmore of a beach/island location.

I neglected to mention I will have my laptop with me, I am not expecting a computer to be provided.

I neglected to mention I will have my laptop with me, I am not expecting a computer to be provided.

This sounds good, I will be in the country for at least 6 months and really enjoyed my stay on the turtle island last time I was there. I had pretty much discounted it this time as I had assumed my internet needs (I plan to continue my 2-3 hour/dayinternet based job while in the country) could not be met. I have a wireless card in my (Apple Mac) laptop. what sort of speeds will the wireless service be operating at and at what cost? (ball park).

Jaidem I have never used GPRS, what sort of spped does this operate at? What cost/month? Is it Mac compatible? I have bluetooth in my laptop if that's relavent.

Flights to Trat

I can only find flights from BKK on BKK airways. Is there any other option? I assume this must be a very small airport?

I have few needs but one of my needs is very important and will I expect limit my choices. I have an internet based job (2 hours/day) which I plan to continue doing in the country (I have checked with the consulate and this is fine) so I need a reasonably priced high speed internet connection wherever I end up. The nature of the job is quite 'adult' so internet in the room/apartment would be necessary. I could not do the job in an internet cafe.

I will be arriving in Phuket in just over two weeks. Phuket is not the ideal place for me, too touristy and too expensive. I will only be using it as a base to find somewhere more suitable.

I would prefer somewhere quiet and pretty. I will want to do a fair amount of diving. I will have friends coming to visit so I suppose nowhere too remote. Hotels or apartments. under 500Bht/night long term.

Any recommendations (particularly with a web site I could check out) would be gratefully received. Places to avoid (no/slow internet) also appreciated. I have no fixed ideas of which regions/islands. Internet research is proving quite difficult.

I have enjoyed visits in the past to Koh Tao and Koh Samet. though the interent conections there were, if I remember satelite based and so both slow and expesive. Are all islands likely to be like this?

Thanks.