richard_smith237

It seems these are not ‘e-bikes’ in the real sense - but conventional bikes with either a hub motor added or a mid-drive added to a conventional frame. Elegant solutions but not an e-bike as I see them sold in the UK (for example). It does seem that the e-bike market in Thailand has not yet matured.

Ah.. the ‘I never needed a seatbelt’ response..... very useful !!!... Facts: Visa Exempt arrivals must be carrying B20,000 in cash (or currency equivalent) (20,000 Baht single traveler / 40,000 baht family travellers). Reality: Unlikely to be asked. I’m in and out very regularly and have never been asked, because I have a visa. But I still carry cash just in case - useful for emergency wherever I may be (cards may not always work). Upon visa exempt entry into Thailand this cash-check is very rarely made - but there are reports of immigration being difficult and rejecting arrivals on this technicality. Previous info suggests it is those who are suspected of working here who are asked this (i.e. visa runners (too many b2b visa exempt entries) those from Korea suspected of working as tour guides etc and those from neighbouring poorer countries that have been profiled). For a westerner arriving in Thailand for the fist time, or after a few months spell out of the country the probability of being asked to show funds is pretty much zero. This technicality seems only to be invoked when immigration are looking for a reason to reject and return. That said: There’s no harm in carrying the cash just in case - in this case its harmless and takes no effort air on the side of caution.

It could be that I only see such news on this forum that my bias is influenced... However, it would appear that the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources react with an elevated degree of prejudice when a Westerner is involved.... ... be it a Wester caught taking a jar of sand from a national park beach or fishing parrot fish - these Marine and Coastal resources react in a manner one could consider outrageously exaggerated. Will they simply charge the Frenchman, or will they investigate to find the source ? Was the property rented ? and are the bones even his ? (or belonged to the rental property). The house can’t be owned by the Frenchman... so how can he be the ‘owner’ of the bones cemented / fixed to the ground at the entrance of the home ? (although the report stats he admitted to owning the bones).

See now, how important it is to read the facts before jumping to your bias Thai apologist assumptions...

If I hear or read.. "its coming home” one more time...

I never expect that. Done it several times this year, paid 1000THB and got pp back in about 3 minutes - 5 minutes max.. Single re-entry is 1000 baht + 200 baht at the airport if they do the paper work and photos for you. Multiple re-entry is 3800 baht + 200 baht at the airport if they do the paper work and photos for you. Queue time obviously varies depending on how busy the airport is (how many people need a re-entry permit at that time), as such the timing is difficult to predict (30 mins is usually more than enough). Some choose to get the re-entry permit from their nearby *Immigration office before going to the airport to avoid a possible delay or even to avoid forgetting to get the re-entry permit. *Note: not all provincial immigration offices will issue a re-entry permit. For example: One poster has already commented that Samui does not issue the re-entry permit (though that could be a misunderstanding or miscommunication / difficult Immi officer etc)

Loss of face can be tough to handle... You usually provide excellent advice... But, as the varying experiences from contributors to this thread examples, you have been on the wrong side of this one, reacted childishly and made an attack when found to me mistaken - not the usual mature level headed response I’ve previously respected you for.

Well, at least they don’t turn into a german bread (my own typo - too late to correct). I did hear about theft but never witnessed it... not sure if it really happens or not. But, if its a hassle to replace.. better to keep under the seat and have a fake on show. I wonder what would happen IF the BiB were to stop me, recognise it as a fake but can present the real one upon request ?.... (reality is - its been a good few years since I was stopped on my MC... the BiB in BKK aren’t as interested in foreign motorcyclists as they are in Phuket and Pattaya).

You don’t have sympathy for someone who gets robbed just because his item was expensive ?? Now... I can understand that someone with a more expensive item is being somewhat foolish ’showing it off’ in a poorer area or area where there is a higher risk of robbery or they may be more vulnerable... however, I still have sympathy for any victim of a crime, whether their stolen item was expensive or otherwise. But what you seem to be implying (forgive me if I’m mistaken) is that its ok if someone wealthy gets robbed... ‘lol’ you’d even laugh about it... How about a $1000 iPhone in Thailand ?.... thats about 3.5 months work for someone on a minimum wage - a very attractive proposition to them... should we feel sympathy to you if you were mugged at knife point for your $1000 iPhone ???... after all, you could go out and get a new one the next day, right ???? Now... I know no one condones theft and robbery... its interesting how some let their jealousy of the wealthy impact their opinions of right from wrong.

Fair enough - if you have plenty of time, can get to immigration easily etc and you don’t want to worry about forgetting about it when you get to the airport..... But, I want to ask... .... Driving to Immigration, parking up etc... then queueing, getting the re-entry permit processed and driving home... All that took 30 mins ????

Good advice... I should have ignored the inanity of your initial response... I’ll scroll on by to your trolling in future... Good day to you too...

I wonder how the DLT App would be accepted in Phuket... Or in Bangkok for that matter, realistically, I'm stopped so infrequently I’ve not had a chance to test the reaction of the BiB to the App. I’d assume the BiB are not up to date with it. Theoretically - we no longer need to show our physical *Thai Licence at all when asked, we can just show our Thai Driving / Motorcycle licence on the DLT App. [ Obviously - this is only in reference to Thai Licence - not an overseas licence with or without an IDP ]. You make a good point about the BiB attempting to take keys... Fortunately its not happened to me... when pulled over I take out my key’s and pocket them. I’m not sure of the law regarding ‘official check points’ which have a ‘pay station’... If the BiB are not letting you go unless you ‘pay on the spot’ it could lead to an awkward stand-off... I think the BiB in Phuket and Pattaya have a lot more hubris than those in Bangkok who seem less intent of fleecing drivers / riders....

As does the absence of comprehension exampled in your post in this thread dear fellow... Now.. keep up... this thread is about unscrupulous things in London... we are on a Thai forum... its ok to draw comparisons between cities in Thailand and other cities, its ok draw on personal and anecdote when making comments.... Its also OK to write dumb stuff.. but expect to get called out on it !!!... Now... are you going to contribute to the topic or just attempt to pick holes in the comments others make ???

No... Its the crossings fault.... If the crossing wasn’t there, someone wouldn’t be trying to cross and the driver wouldn’t have hit the person who got in their way.... .... its all rather inconsiderate for the authorities to places these crossings willy-nilly all over the city, don’t they have any consideration for motorists ????? ????

Yeah... cos of all this... Kids lives being placed at risk became corrupt and unscrupulous business men get away with their abhorrent dealings...

Express VNP (or any decent VPN) - and watch on UK TV BBC iPlayer or ITV Hub with their commentary and pre-match build up....

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 !).