geisha

Unfortunately, Caracena is right, and Dentonian is wrong. I did my Notification of residence within the required 24 hours at Jomtien immigration last week. I did it after hearing of many people who had been fined up to 5000 baht for not notifying. I was told there that I had done the right thing, that the rule was now being followed, and that if I hadn't done it, my demand of extension in two months time would be refused !  I said I would be going to Koh Chang, and Bangkok, and they said that when I come back to Jomtien I must do the whole thing again. Even if I have not changed address ! I don't know if this rule is being observed in every immigration, but I've heard since of many people being fined.

IMO he was right. He could have dropped them off at a nearby town though. 

When I did my notification of address this Monday, they told me that I would not have got an extension in two months time , had I not done this. Maybe for your average tourist travelling around on a two month visa, and not needing an extension, it won't be a problem, or yes ? 

A friend of mine had a My big big honey, or something like that. There's quite  a few of them in the book shops. Some are real funny.

Hi, I arrived in Thailand Friday 23 evening . Today, Saturday and tomorrow the immigration in Jomtien is apparently closed. Can I , must I , do my presence reporting on Monday ? I asked the office girl who did the 2 month rental contract, and she said she'd do it over the Internet, but then she couldn't do it, and that the office Jomtien was closed this weekend. She will also do it Monday. I will be staying here in Jomtien a day or two under two months. ( i have a 2 month visa and then must ask for an extension in 60 days time ) then I will be staying in hotels for another 15 days in Koh Chang and Bangkok, before leaving Thailand. Thanks.

Hi, I see that in Jomtien there is tmn and sophon. In my new place we only have Internet in the lobby ! where are these two adresses please ? Also, I see loxinfo, but their site is in Thai with English headings only. I'm here for 2  months in this condo and can't face having no internet . Is loxinfo done over the phone, or how do these three work ? And do I have to ask first which internet company they have in my condo ? Thanks a lot. 

Hi all, so when I arrive in Thailand tomorrow at a new condo rental ( first time stay) for 2 and a half months , the office has to do a TM30 , and I have to go to Jomtien immigration also within 24 hours ? I will be doing a 30 day extension in two months there. Will the office give me the necessary papers concerning this? I don't fancy paying 5000 baht as states in the above post for an error. Thanks.

And what about the prom in Jomtien, where great big holes ( for what?) filled daily with rubbish, were left for a year, plus bricks and sand etc! By the way, is the prom now finished and the holes filled in ? Really dangerous after dusk.The whole place is a filthy mess, everywhere !

If , for  some reason he can't find one in Chiang Maî, there's the airport shop at Suvarnabhumi. Usually, one of the bigger malls in Chiang mai will have a JT shop.

Friends of mine said they'd never go back to Phuket again, problems starting with the 2+ hour wait at immigration, and then the usual taxi scams to follow and less than friendly welcome at the hotels and restaurants. Their last visit was ten years ago which probably explains their surprise at the difference. I keep wanting to go and visit my old friends there, but keep putting it off due to these same problems. I feel quite upset at what Phuket has become, it used to be my favorite winter home. 

Sorry I'm a bit off subject, but why, especially when you've paid a fortune for your tickets, is the air con so icy cold ? I've had many a flight totally spoiled by freezing temperatures .

The girls mother has posted a long reply on the last thread from Tuesday .

Such an awful thing to have happened on your first night in Thailand ! I do hope your embassy helped ? Were they also robbed which led them to having no money to buy a return ticket ? I'm not being cheeky, but I always advise every single person who goes abroad ( anywhere) to always have travel insurance. Awful things, accidents/illnesses can happen anywhere in the world and insurance can spare a lot of grief. I hope your daughter is ok now, and handling this ordeal with your help. 

I wonder if the government have ever thought about having proper school buses and licensed drivers ? 

Due to the economic downfall and threat of terrorism , most hotels , all over the world, have put their rates down !

A bit steep for the locals who have to get to work and back. That's 40 B out of their meagre wages. I really think there should be some sort of card /Pass for workers and school kids , and free travel for Thai pensioners too as 40 B A day is way too much. I think it's fine for tourists though, still cheap compared to taxis.

Just wondering how this visa service works financially seeing that SETV visa is now free of charge until end of February ? 

When i used to visit my mother in law in hospital after a fall, she claimed out loud that she'd been beaten by the nurses and that they wanted to throw her out of the window. Of course , she had Alzheimer's and delusion, but she was very convincing.A shock such as the fall, and being in unfamiliar surroundings probably brought it on. Which is why it is so important to have medical help and advice for our elders. 

Spidermike007 is right. Too much outside competition and a huge lack in skills/education has left Thailand in the dark ages. One only has to look at closed shops, failed businesses and once thriving restaurants to see that the "good" tourist numbers have fallen drastically over the last few years. Personally, seeing the state on the once clean pristine beaches, the crumbling infrastructure and the tragic  bus/ car / scooter accidents happening every week, Not to mention the taxi/ jet ski scams, I think it's too late for Thailand to do a turn around . 

autoc, There are a lot of great beaches outside Thailand !

Tourism figures all over the world are down. Still quite a few young people and backpackers around everywhere, but older people , indépendant travellers and families are feeling the pinch. The economic climate of Europe and most other countries is not good, so people are careful. Holidays closer to home. Nearly all the people  I talk to know thailand already, and have moved on. Older people who have condos here for the winter months are usually faithful, that's a different type of tourism. My neighbours cycle about, go to the market, and eat on their balconies with friends . Normal life. I would say that the exchange rate in Thailand is not helping to attract tourists either, and that it has nothing special to offer anymore. The beaches are not idyllic as they used to be, and there's a lot of competition world wide. Being a country far away from the Americas and Europe, i think the tourism figures will slowly blend into something much more reasonable, and the hoards of tourists will rapidly dwindle. 

Mass tourism never did any one any good. Look at Spain , Bali, Thailand. Thousands of cheap flights landing every day with 1 week to 10 day tourists who have very little money to spend. They stay in their cheap hotels and guest houses, have lovely days on the beach and a cheap tasty meal at night , a few beers from the 7/11 and Bobs your uncle, a good holiday. These tourist monies do not get spread out. I'm not saying this is wrong , but if a country welcomes this sort of tourism, this is what it will get.All that it has achieved in Thailand is the rapid destruction of all the islands beauty , ugly buildings and a completely failed infrastructure. Shame. 

Both very nice. Nha Trang has a very clean, beautifully set out beach and promenade, with beautifully kept garden , flowers all along. ( thailand take note !) waste bins and toilets and clean ! Lots of small Vietnamese restaurants in the road behind the beach and behind the Novotel. If you go there, try Lanterns, great place, read the story it's very nice. Went three times. The only thing, the sea is very cold !!! Could not swim. As in most places, don't carry a handbag for ladies at night,  leave your jewels at home,  otherwise, nothing to worry about. Langkawi is lovely. Beautiful beach and kind people, gorgeous food too, it has that special " island" atmosphere. Lots of trees, also a nice seafront, I enjoyed it very much. I'd go back to Langkawi for the warm sea water. Never had a problem buying a drink, there are pubs and bars everywhere.

I think it's good news. Someone has to start introducing rules and laws on traceability and ingredients. Sometimes it all sounds a bit over the top in Europe and first world countries, but doing nothing is worse. Of course, pesticides are about the worst problem in Asia, where there are no quality, honest, controls and testing. We should all be able to be aware of what we are putting in our mouths and bodies. Something a lot of people forget too, is the products we use on our skin ( creams/ sunscreen/ détergents etc) . Buying some cosmetic creams a few years back I  opened  them to find it all rancid and yellow , probably due to being left in a super hot stock room for  Ages . Which , by the way, is where all food , drinks etc are stocked ! Although I've been here a lot through 30 odd years , ( odd sometimes being the word) , it never fails to surprise me the way food is cooked, how it's cooked, stored etc . The use of old cooking oil, salt ,msg,  and sugar is horrendous.Whereas a lot of people believe that Thai food (  as most other Asian countries) is healthy, i do not agree at all.   There  are enlightened Thai families and  professional cooks that are careful , but it's not run of the mill.