PJ33

Apparently they've all just been found alive. Great news!!!!!

Thank you for the replies everyone.

I originally got my non-B visa from the Thai consulate in Penang 2 years ago, based on an application I'd already initiated at the labour office for a work permit. I didn't need to leave the country since then, immigration in Phuket gave me another 1 year extension in May last year. So I'm not sure if my visa is currently classed as an extension based on work or something else. I no longer need that visa extension or the work permit so I do not "need" my current visa showing in my new passport but I understand if it is a requirement that it's transferred.

As time is a little tight, there's a possibility my new passport may arrive back with me on Friday but too late to go to immigration to transfer my visa to the new passport. In this case, what will airport immigration do...? Will they refuse to allow me to leave the country..?

Hi everyone

I'm a UK citizen and I've been here on a work permit for the last couple of years. My visa expires in less than 2 weeks along with the work permit. Due to my passport pages being almost full I applied for a new passport last month and I'm still waiting for the new passport to arrive back with me.

I'm using a passport service to pick up the new passport from Bangkok and send to me in Phuket. The new passport just arrived back in Bangkok from the UK. I have flights booked to Malaysia next Saturday 28th April, so I'm a little tight for time but there should be no problems in receiving the new passport before I fly.

When I come back into Thailand I do not need the work permit or current visa any more, as the company I work for is about to close in the next few weeks. I plan to come back in on a standard 30-day visa-on-arrival in the new passport. I do not need a re-entry stamp as it does not matter if the last few days of my current visa are gone and I will not be working for the company again once I return to Thailand.

My simple "hope" is that I can turn up at the airport and get an exit stamp in my old passport against my last entry stamp. Then when I land in Malaysia and back in Thailand, I will be using only the new passport for entry.

Not wanting to rely on a random hope, I have a couple of quick questions for the experts:

1). Will I encounter any trouble with my "hope" plan above or do I need to visit an immigration office before I leave Thailand next Saturday to deal with my soon-to-expire visa being in the old passport? I assume the old passport is no longer valid for travel, right? 

2). If I do need to visit an immigration office in advance, how will airport immigration react if I don't get the new passport in time to transfer the visa..?

3). Is there anything else I did not think of which could trip me up or cause me problems...?

Thank you in advance for your suggestions and help.

 

I went down to Patong immigration yesterday to do my 90-day report as usual but the place was locked up with a sign on the door saying "System no work contact Phuket Town Immigration".

I went to Phuket Town Immigration instead today and I asked about Patong. They said the note about the system failure was not exactly the truth. The real problem is that there is no-one there with the authority to sign all the necessary documents. Apparently it's going to be at least another week until they sort out the staffing issue and re-open.

Quite why they couldn't send one of the dozens of officials from Phuket Town is beyond me. 

Anyway, if you're planning to go down to Patong Immigration in the immediate future it may be worth calling first to check if it's open. The number is 076-340-477.
 

I'm often asked what protein or supplements I'm taking. I answer truthfully: food and water (and yes you can still drink beer etc also). You don't need to take anything else, as it's entirely possible to be super-fit and have a great, toned body without filling yourself full of artificial products.

It sounds like you need to keep the focus on your cardio right now. That's what will strip away the fat from your waist. Taking supplements will only delay this effect. Reduction in body fat is the fastest, most beneficial and most noticeable thing you can do to improve your body-shape. Once you have the fat stripped away, then you can switch focus slightly and start working on increasing body tone. There is little point toning your stomach muscles at this stage when the fat is hiding the results.

I highly recommend picking up a copy of The Slight Edge by Jeff Olson - best book I ever read. You can find it on Amazon, Audible and there are even free PDF versions floating around.

Read that book and you will understand why what you're doing already is all you need to do. It's hugely important to know exactly why what you're doing is working and to have powerful reasons to keep doing it...

Paul

I refuse to go by van for visa runs for exactly the reason that they drive like maniacs at speeds beyond belief. If booked a week or more in advance you can fly from Phuket to KL and back for not much more than a van run.

RIP to those lost in this horrific smash.

How anyone can keep a straight face and accept "congratulations" after this multi-year farce is so comical it defies belief.

This project was already underway when I first came to Phuket in September 2013 and was only finally completed in the last few weeks. Yes traffic could pass under for about the last 6 months but anyone on the roads above has continued to endure 3+ years of upheaval, delays and appalling road surfaces right up until November. The road surface was so bad for so long, my girlfriend had to replace the suspension on her bike.

Then when it was finally complete (and the same with the Central underpass), they banned all motorbikes and tuk-tuks from using the underpass and they still have to go through the original junction above with all the traffic lights. Yes, if you want to go through the underpass in your huge gas-guzzling 4x4 then by all means pass through as quick as you like and continue on your journey to clog-up the roads elsewhere. But if you are using a vastly more environmentally friendly scooter, keeping the roads more traffic free, you are punished by being made to wait at the lights.

Also to point out that it has not made things any better for anyone going to the Tesco Lotus complex or heading to Kathu / Patong, there are still the same huge waiting times caused by the traffic lights at the junction above the underpass. Even at 2am last Friday I was stationary at the lights for almost 3 minutes waiting for green, whilst only 2 or 3 vehicles passed through the junction from other directions. Have they never heard of "traffic-sensing traffic lights"...?

Even removing all the traffic lights and sticking a roundabout in the huge space now available would have been far better for all concerned than the dumb lights.

So you'll forgive me if I don't feel like anyone even remotely connected to this shambles deserves anything more than a boot up the backside and relocation to an inactive post.

"Was he left or right-handed..?"is the main question.

A right-handed person, choosing to commit suicide in this manner, would use their right hand to hold the knife and cut towards their right ear, not towards their left ear.

Only 10% of people are left-handed, making it 90% likely this was not suicide. That's not to say it wasn't suicide, but it might be worth checking which was his dominant hand.

This happened a stones throw from my place and I knew nothing about it until this afternoon.

This morning I saw someone on a motorbike get run over by a huge dumper truck about 1.5km from this shooting and right outside a school - looked like the person died instantly :-( 

A sad day for Kathu and Phuket. Condolences to both sets of relatives.

Hey elviajero

Thank you very much for putting my mind at rest :-)

Hi everyone

My lawyer returned my passport last week after having it for around 4 months. He was extending my 3-month initial non-B to a 12 month visa based on my new work permit.

I got the visa extension OK so that's not the issue. He told me the passport had to go to immigration in Phuket and onwards to Bangkok for the extension stamp so it was a large concern that I did not have my passport for so long. But that is not the issue either.

Not long after he took my passport, a 90-day report was due in mid-July. He messaged me a couple of days before to say he had done the 90-day report for me and it next expired on 9th October.

However, when my passport was returned last week, I checked straight away and the 90-day report slip was not in the passport. He does not know where it is. I have never actually seen this latest 90-day report slip but I have no reason to believe he didn't do it, so the assumption is he did the 90-day report in July as he said and the slip just got lost in transit.

So my question: when I go to immigration later this week for this next 90-day report, what, if any, are the implications of not having the current 90-day report slip in the passport....?

Cheers for any advice and assistance.

I did a couple of these out and straight back in 30-day visa exempt entries earlier in the year, whilst waiting for my lawyer to sort another visa. There were no problems entering.

Be sure to have 20,000 Bahts cash with you when you arrive back. They didn't ask me to show it on either occasion but they have a right to deny entry if they ask you to show it and you don't have it. Showing a bank book is not sufficient, it actually needs to be cash already in your pocket. Give them one less reason to deny entry.

If they are being really awkward they can also ask you to have an ongoing flight booked out of Thailand within the 30 days. If they do this, you can get on your phone and book one-way ticket to the nearest destination (Air Asia good for this), accepting that you're gonna lose 1,000 to 2,000 Bahts or so. They are less likely to ask for this if you have only done the 30-day in and out a few times. If you have done it 3 or 4 times in a row, they may be more awkward.

Hi Zanyzan

Take great care here as you are giving the Thai lawyer much more power over your future than you can possibly imagine.

I just sent you a PM.

P

England, Northern Ireland and Wales....the only 3 countries that could go out of Europe twice in the next 3 days ;-)

#football

First and most important of all - huge condolences to the friends and family of those who lost their lives.

My take on the cause is this: if someone were to go to the trouble of getting a bomb on a plane in France, it would take an awful lot of planning and I do not believe they would go to such trouble with the end result in mind being to take down a small plane. They would instead plan to go for a large plane with several hundred passengers - same amount of planning and work involved but a much more shocking result.

I could be completely wrong but my guess would be the cause of the tragedy was a sudden catastrophic mechanical failure. So sad either way.

RIP to all concerned.

To answer your question:

Phuket has 2 immigration offices - a large one in Phuket Town and a small one in Patong. During the high season in January to early April, Phuket Town immigration gets very busy, with hundreds of people around. Still, they usually handle it quite efficiently. During the rest of the year it's relatively quiet and you're in and out within a few minutes.

Patong is small and largely unknown by most, so it is always quick in and out at most times of the year. The bottleneck at Patong is getting photocopies of your passport and mugshots, so bring those with you and you'll be straight in and out at all times of the year. Note: Patong handle only basics such as 90-day report, tourist visa extension and certificates of residence.

If you are planning to be on an ED Visa you can only deal with this and get extensions at Phuket Town.

I am surprised at the state of the immigration office being your main concern. Maybe jump on a flight one weekend and check out some of the sights before upping sticks and moving all the way across the country. There is something for everyone here, from stunning beaches and scenery to super-crazy nights on the town. But everyone is different so it's what you think of the place that matters.

I know a really good language school in central Phuket. Pm me for details.

I have used a guy a few times both to and from Phuket airport. The last time was yesterday afternoon.

He always turns up 10 to 15 minutes before the booked time and is always there waiting at the airport when I land. Yesterday I landed at 13:20 and he was there when I came out of the airport at 13:30.

His vehicle is always clean and tidy and he drives at a normal speed, rather than the crazy taxis you sometimes see weaving in and out of traffic.

He speaks good English and is pleasant to chat to.

His name is Somchai (I kid you not) and his number is +66 8-7823-6840. You need to book in advance and the price is 700 Baht to Patong - which believe me is a very good rate for a 45 minute+ taxi ride in Phuket.

Thanks. Ill try to do that. Airasia has daily flights leaving at 16:55

Hi Syke1912

Also it might be worth keeping an eye on their website for any updates:

http://www.thaiembassy.org/penang/

Although that may not be much help as there does not appear to be any notification on their website about the 2-day closure mentioned above.

Im going there 10 may. What adress should I head to please?

Sent from my SM-A800F using Tapatalk

Hey BeefSlapper

On the sign, there was no indication of how long the temporary relocation would be so it could be either number 1 or number 12. As mentioned above, it's the same road, so either 5 minutes extra walk or an extra minute in the taxi. Hopefully not a big issue. It's more the unscheduled 2-day closure that is likely to cause some people issues.

Bad news for me. Booked flight already on the sunday leaving tuesday. And apparently there is no way to get a setv same day.

Sorry to hear that syke1912. At least you have forewarning. Any chance of changing the flights for a small fee...? Most airlines seem to allow flight changes, they just don't allow you to cancel and expect a refund.

If you are handing in your visa application on the morning of Tuesday 26th (before 12:00 noon), it will be 2:00pm on Wednesday 27th when you will receive the passport back. It's a 30 to 40 minute ride to the airport, so the earliest flight you could reasonably expect to make on the 27th is 16:00.

Arms crossed and placed aganst his chest. Put in that position by a third party, maybe? Shades of Koh Tao.

Phuket news is reporting two beach joggers pulled the body out of the water, I would suggest it was they who arranged his pose.

Shades of Koh Tao ? The leaps of conjecture are certainly similar.

Is there a mistake in that time ( 7 am ) or is the sun suddenly rising in the west? The shadows are pointing east.

At Surin Beach, the sun sets into the sea, so the photo is showing a view to the West. At 7am, the sun would be in the East, casting shadows from the trees onto the beach towards the sea, as can be clearly seen.

RIP to the deceased.

Hi guys

After 2 years on an ED visa, I did an in-out flight and came back in on a 30-day visa exempt in Jan, which I already extended at immigration for a further 30 days.

In the mean time, I have been offered a job at a Thai company (51% Thai owned), that employs 4 Thai staff and will also employ me. It's a legitimate, operational business, so I can get a work permit. My job is in a line of business that is not excluded to foreigners.The plan is to apply for the work permit as soon as I have the non-B visa, allowing me to stay 1 year at a time without exiting Thailand.

My accountant/lawyer is advising me to exit Thailand to apply for the non-B in a neighbouring country at a consulate/embassy - probably Penang. However, I have read quite a few online accounts saying it is possible to do this conversion from 30-day exempt to a non-B at immigration inside Thailand.

I really do not wish to exit Thailand if I can avoid it and so I'd like to tap into the knowledge of you guys. So, assuming my accountant has all the documents in order for a non-B application, here are my questions:

1). Is it even possible to convert to a non-B visa in Thailand...?

2). If so, has anyone got any experience of converting from visa exempt to Non-B inside Thailand and what was your experience...?

3). Are there any additional documents needed inside Thailand or is it the same process whether inside Thailand or in a neighbouring country?

4). Anything else I did not consider....?

Thank you in advance :-)

PJ

I've exercised every day since July 1st 2004 - Yep over 11 and a half years without missing a day.

I've built it up gradually over the years but now every morning I do:

20 minutes upper body weights, including sit-ups, then:
30 minutes cardio on the elliptical cross-trainer, then:
20 minutes upper body weights

....shower, then lunch. As a result I can eat and drink pretty much whatever I like, within reason, and maintain a physique better than it's ever been.

If ever I'm sick (very rare): get out of bed, throw up, cross trainer, throw up, back to bed. Lol

Hi everyone

Thank you again for all your help and advice.

I did the return flight to Kuala Lumpur yesterday and got back in through Phuket immigration with no trouble at all.

The return flight to Kuala Lumpur cost me 4,300B which I thought was very reasonable considering I only booked a couple of days in advance. The outgoing flight was scheduled for 13:30 and I was back in Phuket at 20:10. Much better timings than the alternative of a van trip to Satun which would have meant waking at 4:00am.

I checked in to both the outgoing and incoming flight online before I left Phuket and got my boarding passes by text and email, my thinking being: if I'm already checked in and have a boarding pass, the airline are less likely to "un-check" me in or even ask about if I have an ongoing flight out of Thailand within the following 30 days.

So I did not have an ongoing flight back out of Thailand booked but I did have a very cheap flight I had found online that I knew I could book within 2 minutes if the airline or immigration asked me to do it. Nobody asked about an ongoing flight.

I allowed 4 hours between flights in Kuala Lumpur, so I had time to enter through Malaysian immigration and go back through their outgoing immigration. There was an option to have returned on a flight 2 hours 20 minutes after landing but I felt this was not quite enough time. The flight from Phuket was delayed 50 minutes and with the time taken to get through Malaysian immigration twice, I would have missed the earlier flight, so I picked the right return flight. The queues at Kuala Lumpur were long and slow-moving. In the end I had about an hour of free time before boarding for the return flight started.

As I re-entered Phuket Immigration, they saw that my ED visa was about to expire, there was no re-entry permit and I just had to clarify I was expecting a standard 30-day visa exempt stamp. They also asked me if I was a teacher. I replied "Not yet". I'm not sure if that was their vague attempt to see if I was working illegally and catch me out but I had nothing to hide anyway.