richard_smith237

It is ridiculous... Its ridiculous that you think things only work in the manner you have experienced them... You already point out that at two airports in Bangkok its different. I also point out that its different depending not security lane you go through. Is it also different at Phuket, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai and any other airport offering international flights ?? The ONLY sensible advice is to understand that the system may vary so ask at the Immigration counter if you haven’t already seen a re-entry permit counter..... Why is that getting you so childishly upset ???

What?? Yes some superior folk that want to use fast tract and then plead ignorance and are taken to reentry office. The facts are reentry permits are done PRIOR to immigration control at BKK. At DMK it's just other side of passport control. The office clearly visible from pp control. These threads come up too often. People making simple sound difficult. You’ve misunderstood and for some unknown reason taken affront to my clear, concise and accurate post which highlights its not always clear and not always the same. As someone who’s lived in Thailand a long time you are surely familiar with how things are handled differently depending on where you are. Personal example: Back in 2020 - on an Extension of stay based on Non-Imm O (Marriage)... exited via Priority lane through security and Immigration - There is no ‘re-entry permit counter' in that area - you have to tell the Immigration officer that you want a re-entry permit. Hence IF in doubt - always ASK the immigration officer as things are not always the same and things do not always work the way they did for DrJack54 !!! Now Jack.. take chill pill and pull your neck back in !!! I repeat my advice... Sorry if you don’t like that Jack...

I've been through it 3 times in the last 6 weeks, and each time I passed through the Passport Control Immigration desks before going to the Re-entry Permit Office following the directions of the Immigration Officer. I think it depends which Immigration stations you exit through and at which airport. i.e. At Suvarnabumi the Re-entry permit station is (was) after the Priority Immigration stations.... but in the Main immigration Hall before the main Immigration stations / booths (but that may well have changed too... the airport seems to under-go a lot of changes and re-jigging things around... IF you get to an Immigration station before you have seen the ‘Re-entry station’ then speak up.. Tell the Immigration Officer you need a re-entry permit.

Ignore him... he’s clearly not very sharp and is misreading comments, making assumptions and trying to pick arguments.... A perfect example for A. Lincoln's quote.. "its better to remain silent and thought... “.... (I assume most will get the rest of the quote )

Your post speak volumes about your poor reading comprehension... back at school days (if you went) were you frequently told ‘mouth into neutral, brain into gear’ ??? Just read the posts again... try reading them out-loud.. it may help.

Op could of course travel with the bike as baggage (I’ve travelled with bikes before) - no issue on airlines (may have excess baggage of course). But, with an e-bike the battery is of course the issue... He can’t hand carry the battery as its not allowed as carry on (specs to high). The battery can’t be loaded into the hold. Thus: IF bringing an e-bike with him... his options are to bring the e-bike with him minus battery... and either try and ship the battery separately (with a shipping company), or contact the supplier of the battery and ask them to send / ship one to Thailand (i.e. buy a new battery from them). ... thats if they even will ship one... I looked at such e-bikes a while ago... not enough quality in Thailand... All the usual high quality brands we’d see in the UK are not here.... its mostly bikes made in China - it seems the e-bike market has not yet matured in Thailand - not for quality e-mountain bikes at least... (IF thats what the Op meant by e-bike... i.e. an e-mountain bike and not a mobility scooter type e-bike)

When the Op states ebikes for $4000.... I’m assuming he means something like this... Not something like this...

I am extremely lucky that I don’t have to face that situation. What would I, could I do... I don’t know... I suspect if we are 100% honest with ourselves none of us know exactly what we’d do in many such situations until we are faced with that very situation. I would like to think I could protest against my government.... in the UK we have that luxury, in Russia such actions come with serious consequences. So... playing the ‘what if’ game.... I wonder if I’d do a runner just as some of the Russians have... or would I be conscripted and ‘shoot to miss’... another possibility... But do we really know what we would do ??? I don’t think so... and I wouldn’t want to claim any false morality with ‘what I would do’ BS from behind a keyboard... All I can say is that I understand the Russians who have escaped and come to Thailand and condemn those who still support the actions of their government.

My tax disc fell out so like you i keep a colour copy but at home to use as a replacement, going to transport office for a replacement is a PITA so I'm not doing that again I have heard of the tax ‘squares’ getting stollen from the bikes... So, I put a ‘colour photo copy’ in the tax ‘square’ holder... and keep the real tax ‘square’ under the seat with insurance and photo-copy of the green book.... (the only issue, the sun has discoloured / bleached the photo copy so I’ll have to do another !).

I reckon BS on that as yer average Thai policeman would not know what he's looking at if he was to see your passport and he wouldn't want to embarrass himself in trying to prove there's a problem with it. . Calling me a liar - I see...

It astonishes me the extent to which people leave expensive $1000 items laying around in the open... My Wife is terrible for it in Bangkok... we’ll be in a pub or a restaurant with friends.. occupied, talking.. She’ll get up and go to the bathroom, leave her phone on the table / handbag on the back of her chair where people are walking past... its so easy for someone to just walk past and take it without any of us noticing... Thailand does provide that element or impression of ‘safety’.... which may or may not be a false impression.... In London we are on high-alert !

Sadly... I do... Brother in Law - Mugged and Rolex watch robbed off him in London (when he was younger). ExGF - LV handbag snatched in central london ExGF - Phone stolen out of handbag London is a hotbed of theft and pick-pocketing... muggings in other areas in the night. I’ve had two pick pocketing attempt made on me in Prague and Barcelona. In Bangkok... 20 years of know of 3 thefts. Friends Wife - Bag snatched on Thonglor - Motorbike rode past, pillion snatched the bag Ex GF - Bag snatched (same way as above). Friends Wife - Phone stollen out of ‘open’ handbag in shopping mall. IMO - there is a higher risk of bag snatches and pick-pocketing in London than there is in Bangkok. But, in Bangkok we are also walking around the streets far less so that makes a big difference. In all cities we have to be extremely vigilant... i.e. when walking with Wife, her handbag is on her elbow positioned between us... not on the her outside etc (or, don’t take a handbag at all).

Anyway... Apologies if your feelings were hurt... I’ll make no further response to your comments in this thread as you seem to interpret everything as a personal attack and lack the emotional tools to discuss without getting upset or offended. All the best..

Don’t play the victim... I haven’t accused you of not having principles... But, the example you used to ‘claim the moral high ground’ was not something which played out... you never did face conscription.... And yet you get so butt hurt when your moral example is brought into question and think nothing of questioning someone else’s morals ??? [do you have any?]... hypocritical much ?

.... these forums always have the ‘wannabe lawyer’ regurgitating such utter ‘can’t paint your own house’ nonsense, believing the utter tosh told to them by the Ex SAS guy they spoke to in the beer bar..... .... guys so dumb they don’t know they are dumb...

I still have a Double-Espresso (with plenty of sugar) before I play football... Even though I’m older now - I’m still playing 2-3x per week... A coffee definitely adds a ‘little sharpener’ to my performance... which, is just a fun but competitive kick-about, but its improved with a little edge caffeine gives me, especially when playing with and against younger, faster, sharper lads in the 20’s and 30’s.... (perhaps placebo, perhaps real.... I think the effect is real !). Health benefits - certainly a ’sharpener’ for sports.

Is it really unexpected that Starbucks came last ??? ???? But also look at what came first.... a single Origin Guatemalan coffee... so people do have taste !!! The issue I find with excellent coffee... It's so good I want more and too much is clearly not good for you. I also prefer Arabica beans to Robusta. Arabica has less caffeine and is generally smoother whereas Robusta has approximately 30-50 more caffeine and is generally less smooth and more bitter.... Thus from a health perspective - its better to drink a couple of strong Arabica’s, which are more also more enjoyable (for me at least), than a couple of strong Robusta’s which may have too much caffeine in them and lead to caffeine headaches. Thus: I’d rather have a ‘couple’ of something I enjoy more... than something which is strong that I enjoy slightly less... This also leads to.... Decaf - when enjoying the taste of quality coffee so much, is it worth simply having decaf to avoid the potential of caffeine headaches if having too many coffees ?

Principled enough to know when and when not to be a hypocrite... You are pinning your example on a scenario that never came to fruition... “I would have...” ... but you didn’t, so it doesn’t mean anything... the comment is just ‘pie in the sky’... You had the luxury of being in the US... Russia is still very different. Would YOU stand by your principles in Russia ?? protest ?? how would you avoid conscription into a war you completely disagree with in Russia ???? Me ???... I’m not ashamed to say I’d get out of dodge... I don’t blame the Russians who are coming to Thailand for doing so.

Most likely they would. I always travel with my Passport (to keep it accessible within a decent time frame) - but I use my Pink ID for airline (domestic) and hotel check-in... this always works (but really shouldn’t outside of province of issue, nevertheless, it works).... so, I assume that hotels would be perfectly fine accepting a PhotoCopy of your passport upon check-in. As for Banks.. I think mileage may vary... some will, but some Bank Managers are utter jobs-worths and can make things awkward (in the past (pre-pink ID days) a photo on the phone or a Driving Licence was not accepted (in the situations I’ve experienced. Note: others say their Thai DL has worked in Banks).

Extension stamp. Not really.... Only commissioned officers can ask for your ID - a Passport (or copy of usually suffices). Only Immigration Offices can ask for your Visa Status and they hardly roam the streets. Thus: A copy of your Passport, or a ‘shrunk to credit card size’ laminated copy of your Passport should more than suffice for ‘most’ situations. A photo of your lasted stamp / visa on your phone should also be more than adequate. The caveat being: Unless you come across an extremely difficult and awkward Policeman (non-commissioned) who wants to see your passport and only your passport will do - then arguing with them that as they are not commissioned its not legal for them to ask, is going to be somewhat tricky !!!... but lets face it, that last scenario is extremely unlikely.

Perfect comments from behind the safety of a computer-screen. What would you do if you were facing prison for being drafted into a war you disagreed with ??? You’d stand by your moralistic principles, refuse and publicly protest, right ???? You wouldn’t try and get out of the country to avoid jail and spending your ‘blood money’ elsewhere making a hypocrite of yourself, would you ???

How many stats have you made up in this thread alone ???......

The thread is about health benefits of quitting coffee... not whether 7-11 has good coffee... ???? see what I did there ??????

Why are you getting angry with everyone on these ‘visa’ threads ?

I guess he means ‘proper visa’ as opposed to some form of exemption... i.e. an Visa exemption stamp is not really a proper visa in the same way a Tourist Visa is... And yes, after the initial hiccups with potential overstay risk etc in 2020 the Thai government came up with a sensible and consideration option.... But, this has also allowed people to ‘game the system’.... ... as they say, don’t hate the player, hate the game... In this case the Op was nearly caught short Immigration have also done him another favour by offering him sound advice.... Further sound advice is to get a ‘real visa’ / 'proper visa’.... and actual visa... because after staying so long on the exemptions eye-brows are going to be raised if he tries to enter without one.